Cyberstep Journey
by CLM-FFN
Summary: Cyberstep takes a ride into the lost light, to discover who he really is. Following Rodimus, into the vast space, Cyber learns more secrets of his family, Make new friends, protect his family and.. well what do you know, keeping watchful optics one two decepticons (More will join) while all together, D.J.D appears. Read each issue to get further into the store. (Base in MTMTE)
1. The jump

**_I wish to warn you all_**

 ** _Cyberstep story is not part of TFP, but his background of him was born on earth durning the war. I may decided on making a G1 story of him just as a sparkling, maybe, i dont know if i want to or not. Anyways, Hints, hints and hints. I will be mixing Oc's and main characters from the originals shows, to build up their ' autobot/decepticon, family tree'_**

 ** _Horizon: A blue and gold seeker, who was once under megatron command as a breeding bot, later escaped from his grasps and joined the autobots, bonding with prowl and optimus son, blade. Carrier to Cyberstep, Fuse, Goldrush and fire. Adopted Son of Ratchet._**

 ** _Cyberstep: The Silver and gold mech, son of megatron, Nephew of optimus prime, Grandson of ratchet, brother of fuse, fire and Goldrush. Born on earth, raised as an autobot, hates megatron to the pits as he proves his worth as an autobot fighter, friend and family._**

 ** _Fuse: youngest brother, Twin to Fire, Blue and red mech. Mates to Red alert. Grandson of optimus prime_**

 ** _Fire: Youngest brother, Minicon seeker, Blue and gold, frame shape of optimus prime. Grandson of optimus prime_**

 ** _Goldrush: Black and gold praxian, Law enforcer, security second officer, Tactical officer. Limps on his smaller leg, frame shape of prowls, Son of Prowl._**

 _-  
They said I end up like him, but I proved them wrong. I may have been his son but I was accepted to be part of the lost light. I guess Rodimus saw the difference in me that he didn't see in Megatron. Just like Optimus did._

 _I may be your typical gray with fade in cybertronian golden tribal marks and red optics who look exactly like Megatron but we were different people, different personalities. I wanted to protect, he want to offline. I wanted peace and he.. he wanted destruction._

 _So Drift gave Rodimus the wildest dream ever.. the Knights of Cybertron._

"They say that 12 million years on this very spot. The first Cybertronian realized he could change shape." Cyberstep head snapped over to Rodimus, collecting the vital information into his processor. "Six million years ago, right here, Nova Prime told the world that he'd built an Ark." Rodimus announced with his hand extended out.

"And four million years ago to the day, Optimus Prime stood where I now stand and turned down Megatron's first and only invitation to surrender." Cyber smirked and nodded his head his blue visor brightening up from the information.

"What happens here tomorrow will rank. Alongside those moments, tomorrow this patch of land becomes a launch pad. Tomorrow, I will board the lost light and set off in search of our ancestors. They were known as the Knight of Cybertron. They're real. I'm going to find them and I want you all to come with me." Rodimus voiced out the encouragement.

Cyber looked over to his carrier. "Bumblebee says it's your duty to stay here on a planet you no longer recognized. Among people who resent you for the sacrifices you've made in their name. I say: You've done your duty. The war is over. That day you never thought would come? That's today." Rodimus spoke out with the truth. Cyberstep knew it was true and he was happy about it.

"You've earn the right to see the universe without a gun in your hand." Cyber nodded as Horizon rubbed his optics.

"Kid knows how to work a crowd." Wheeljack stated as Horizon nodded.

"We could be witnessing a mass exodus at this rate." Hori held his head and then tapped his helmet with thought. Prowl snorted.

"Are you disagreeing or are your pistons playing up?" Wheeljack asked.

"Wheeljack, I can observe 800 moving objects and compute their directions of travel in 0.5 seconds. This is no different. As soon as Rodimus said he was leaving I mentally complied two lists: those who'd go with him and those who'd stay behind. Trust me. All reliable indicators suggest that tomorrow's launch.." Prowl explained, as he glared.

Hori looked down nervously and smiled. Prowl looked at him and frowned. "You're not going are you?" He asked as Hori nodded and sighs.

"I have to Prowl, your son is going on there and I need to watch him, so is Fire and Fuse. I have to watch Fire since one, he's a minicon and two Fuse doesn't protect him." Prowl sighed and nodded.

"Try not to offline yourself, we need someone here to put Wheeljack back in his place of inventing." Hori smiled softly as Wheeljack flails.

"I resent that!" Horizon laughed with a smiled as Prowl placed a small kiss on Horizon cheek.

"This is going to be one big non-event." Horizon reminded as Wheeljack and Prowl both nodded their helms.

-

 **Today.**

 _We'll good news and bad news. A nail ended up destroying himself by transforming over and over and over, non-stop to prove Rodimus stupidity. Burnt the frame and the t-cog but.. still active._

"He transformed himself to death." Ratchet explained, sliding out from under the slab. "His transformation cog looks like a lump of coal. He must've been changing non-stop for weeks. Where'd you find him?" Cyberstep questioned as he was looking over the offlined bot.

"Outside, on the steps he was a nail, A protester. He did this on purpose to draw attention to our illegal occupation of Cybertron. Thanks for look him over. Metalhawk and Skylight both said he'd only accepted a verdict of suicide if it came from y-" At that time, Bee jumped as if he saw a ghost as the offlined bot transformed into its vehicle mode.

Cyberstep had to laugh at him. "You jumped."

Bee glared at him."You're lucky I don't shock you if you weren't Goldrush brother." Cyber grins widely, almost as a playful insane smiled.

"Relax you two or I'll throw the wrench. It's just a reflex action. Rigor Morphs: the dead body assumes its preferred shape. And yeah. Sometimes. It's the alt mode." Ratchet explained as Ratchet looked at his hands.

"He wasn't dead when you brought him in. He still had a spark. It was tiny, but it was there. I should've been able to save him." Cyber mumbled, setting his hands on Ratchet shoulder.

"An overheated transformation cog! I've fixed millions of them! _Millions_!" Ratchet watched his hands shake. "It's these damn fingers. They're getting old. Seizing up." Ratchet grumbled as there was silence.

Cyber and Ratchet looked at Bee."We're leaving. With Rodimus. Tonight. I'm sorry, we've been waiting for the right moment to tell you. The massively awkward silence suggest that probably wasn't it." Ratchet explained as Bee looked began to harden.

"No, uh-uh. No way. You're joking, right. This is one of your jokes. You always joke. Knowing Goldrush is going but you.." Cyber looked away.

"I'm sorry Bee" Cyberstep mumbled.

"I need you both. You're the best there is-The only autobots to have saved the life of every mechs and Prime since Nominus." Bee explained.

"Precisely, I've been doing this too long. It's time someone else, other than Cyberstep, to become Chief Medical Officer- someone who isn't losing their touch." Ratchet looked away and down. A shadow casting over his face.

"I need to learn more. Earth has been my homeland for a long time, Bee. Born and raised on there. This.. this gives me a chance to discover who I truly am. Not a warrior, not a gladiator or a medic. I'll be with Ratchet to help him with most medical procedures. But this isn't my place yet." Cyberstep explained with a small smile.

"I'm panicking now. You made me panic. I've got the shakes. Look, look at the cane." The cane was shaking as Cyber rolled his optics. "See that? I'm not doing that on purpose." Cyberstep groans and shakes his head.

"You don't even need a cane anymore. I told you Bee, I've told you I found the spare parts I needed to-" Bee cuts Cyberstep off and glares at them.

"Did he seek you out? Rodimus did he give you all that scrap about finding the Knights of Cybertron and retracing our steps to the golden age. it's all a scripted you know Drift writes it for him." Bee declared as if he knew about it.

"Look it's not about the destination so much as the journey. Rodimus has promise to pick up some waifs and strays along the way." Ratchet stated, steading his hand as Cyberstep spoke up.

"You and I both know that not everyone accounted for. A lot of Autobots are still there and some of them could be injured. Maybe I can help them and help Ratchet find a successor in the process. Think of it- Think of it as my swan song." Cyberstep tried to persuade with convince in his tone.

-

"So, you're off then?" Prowl met up with Goldrush, Rewind and Chromedome. Goldrush nodded, look just like Prowl but with gold replacing white. " This is a setback Chromedome. A real setback." Prowl looked at Goldrush. "I'm disappointed in both of you.." Goldrush looked down.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure you'll get over it."Chromedome spoke softly.

"I'm going to level with you. Somehow-Dont asked me. How-Rodimus has found two hundred Autobots, plus my son, will to join him on his foolish crusade. We'll good riddance. I can make do without each and everyone of them but I can't-"

"Even Ratchet and Goldrush?" Chromedome asked but Prowl skipped pasted it.

"Make do without you and my son. You're both gifted. You both can do things no one else can and if I had either of your talents…" Prowl said with honesty.

"Primus help us all." Rewind groans for mercy as Goldrush smiled happily, leaning against his cane to put the extra weight on his small leg.

"Rewind! You're his best friend. Can't persuade him too.." Then Prowl then noticed. "You light's on. Are you recording this?"

Rewind nervously spoke. "Um.. yes?"

"We'll don't it's extremely annoying. You filming everything all the time." Prowl announced.

"I'm an archivist. I'm archiving. This could be an important conversation. It could have repercussions!" Rewind countered back. Goldrush chuckled. "Besides, can't you persuade your son not to go?"

"Rewind!" Goldrush whined, not wanting to deal with his sire, persuading him.

"Prowl, you and I go way back, yeah? You know I've done more than the Autobot cause then most and you know I've done things that are in the past. I bitterly- Oh forget it. "Chromedome stop trying to convince Prowl. "The point is using my 'talents' is the way you suggest is hardly going to help me draw a line under the past." Chrome walked out of the door with Rewind as Goldrush followed them, mostly limping.

"You know what..YOUR problem is Chromedome. You think just because the war is over we can afford to stop fighting," Prowl yelled as Goldrush heard his sire table being thrown into the ground before he heard his sire spoke through the bond.

:: _Be careful and watch your carrier. Watch them for me since I can not..._ :: Goldrush smiled and nodded silently.

-

Fuse stood beside Red Alert, watching and listening him talk. "I'm going to need to search your Briefcase, Brainstorm." Fuse snicked and smirked.

"You're kidding right? This case contains a work-in-progress. if I open it outside of a controlled environment. Do you know what'll happen? End of the world, my friends. End of the world. I'm serious. I'm serious. I'm almost certainly serious, besides…" Brain storm looked at Fused.

"Go on and speak…" Fuse grumbled with no interested at all.

"I'm exempt from all security checks, see? Special dispensation from Rodimus himself. It's authentic, check out the rubsign," Brainstorm hold the badge up as he leans in and looks over it.

Red Alert started to show the stress and look of freaking out. Fuse set his hand on Red Alert shoulder and hums softly. "So as head of security I'm supposed to let the Galaxy most famous weapon engineer on board without checking his bags?" Red Alert question with slight nervousness.

"The Galaxy's most famous weapon engineer, eh? You've been reading my autopedia entry?" Brainstorm asked with interested. Fuse growls.

"Did he say famous? I'm sorry he meant to say notorious, now get. Who's next?" Brainstorm glared at Fuse and walked into the lostlight as Fuse snorted. Fuse crossed his arms as Red Alert chuckled at Fuse.

"Name?" Fuse mumbled at the bot.

"Megatron. but you can call me death." Fuse looked at Swerve and shaked his head.

"Swerve. Please tell me you're here to wave us off." Fuse pleaded with annoyance.

"No, no no. I'm here for the quest. Love a good quest. Haven't been on a quest since the whole Luna 1 thing, the Moonquest." Swerve squealed with excitement. Fuse started to growl.

"Stop saying quest, it's annoying." Fuse snapped.

"So can I go board?" Swerve asked, Fuse snorted.

"OF course- if you promise to never ever speak." Fused growled. Red Alert set his hand on Fuse shoulder.

"Why don't you check on Radio System?" Fuse nods and walked away toward the security room.

"I'm telling ya Red, he sleeps like a turned off radio, not sounds at all." Red shaked his head.

"I would like to see that." Fuse chuckled and walked into the security room, watching the soundless, sparkling recharge in the crib. The red and silver helm with blue and silver chest, legs and arms were red laced with blue waves. Small antennas that matched like Optimus would spark each time in the sparklets recharge. "Recharging like a sparkling."

Fuse was known to have an additude. He was the oldest, the biggest actually. Like his grandsire, he was a truck former. Fuse was a deep blue and gold armor. He never favored his twin, Fire, who was a like him but with a lighter blue and gold armor, seeker shape.

He is quick to get annoyed but there was a few he respected, his grandsire, his carrier and his mate. Sometimes it would be Ratchet. He didn't have the spark to care about anyone but his mate and sparkling.

He was proud to have his sparkling.

-

Goldrush, Cyberstep, Ratchet, Chromedome and Rewind were walked toward the launch site. "Ten minutes to launch. You know Rewind, if you had a decent alt mode we wouldn't have to walk to the launch pad." Chromedome complained.

Cyberstep chuckled as goldrush smiled. " Oh, it's started. The alt mode bashing every time we get agitated. You do realized were also walking because of goldrush and his limpy leg, right?" Rewind smirked behind his masked as goldrush glared.

"Well excused me for being born like this." Goldrush said coolly. Cyberstep and ratchet looked at each other with worried.

They knew goldrush had a problem of walking and understanding. Goldrush would glitch from the stress or the missed input words.

"Let's have a go at rewind because he turns into a giant memory stick and not a super space tank or or-whatever." Rewind mumbled.

"And drag my limping aft into this conversation. who could transform into a decent police car with a busted tire!" Cyberstep mumbled a sorry for that one. Goldrush glared and sighs.

" I just don't see the point of turning into a giant memory stick you might as well be a mono former or a you know police car." Chromedome admitted.

"Remember the old saying. Everyone shape serves a purpose." Goldrush nodded to rewind in.

"Yeah? Tell that to skylynx." Ratchet said. Cyber gulped.

"Yeah… i wouldn't want to be torn to shred by him." Cyberstep looked away in fear. Everyone laughed at cyberstep.

"So the big baddy has a fear of someone bigger than him." Cyberstep glared.

"I do not! I just don't want to be torn to shred by someone who walks on four, has razor sharp teeth and flies around like a prehistoric dinosaur." Cyber snorted as rewind and ratchet chuckled at him as goldrush shook his head.

Something fell from the sky as it landed in front of them. Whirl got up with cyclonus on the ground. "Whirl? You okay? What's going on?" Ratchet asked as cyber and him walked over to whirl.

Goldrush and the three watched them." He attacked me after i caught him desecrating corpses. I suggest you look away now if you have an aversion to explode heads." Whirl warned as cyber step up to whirl.

"He's offlined, whirl. Whatever he's done. He's not a threat best lower the gun, eh?" cyberstep tried to convince him,

"You talking me down, doc? is this you talking me down? like i'm some kind of maniac that needs….. that needs talking down? " Cyberstep blinks confusedly.

" I'm just saying.." Whirl cutted him off as cyberstep glared.

" No, i'm just saying, he started it. I'm finishing it. and a nice, clean head shot is always the best way to finish it." Whirl explained.

"Whirl list-" Soon a light reddish-purple beam shot out of the ground and through whirl chest, straight to the sky as whirl felled backward. Cyberstep ran to whirl side, checking the damage as the others beside goldrush, pulled the minibot out of the ground.

"C'mere pal. I don't believe we've met." chromedome asked.

"Have i… miss the launch?" Goldrush frowned and shook his head.

"By the shadow of the underbase! did i do that?" Cyber nodded. Tailgate visor flared out. "Stay calm stay calm. "Tailgate chanted to himself. " He de- he de- he's de- He's dead. I killed him!" Then tailgate plopped onto the ground.

" This is turning into a very odd day." Rewind admitted.

"Whoever he is. he's just had some sort of panic attack. He mention the launch. I'll fix him once we're on board the lost light. I'm going to regret saying this but we'd best bring whirl long too. We can't risk leaving him… we'll anywhere really" Ratchet explained.

"I'll er catch you guys up.." Rewind said as cyber and the rest nodded. Cyber stood up and picked both cyclonus and whirl up.

-

When they finally made on the lost light and into the medibay. Everything went downhill. Cyberstep tensed and ratchet saw this. The alarm went off just right on time as cyberstep bursted out of the medibay doors.

"Scrap!" Ratchet watched.

"It had to be the siblings or the carrier." Ratchet spark filled with worried, he loved the little sparks he happy to call grand sparks.

Cyberstep stormed down the halls in the run, before slamming the door open wide. "Would somebody please tell me what just happened? Perceptor? Mainframe? Highbrow? Anyone? Come On!"Rodimus spoke in worried.

Cyber ran over and pushed the mech away, typing away. " We quantum jumped before we were ready! We've hopped halfway across the galaxy and we're flying blind." The mech that cyber pushed stumbled and rubbed his head." I'm sorry i don't know why!" The mech whined.

"Damage?" Rodimus asked in worried.

" One of the rare thrusters exploded, deck six is in flames and… " Cyberstep tensed. "Oh no… no no. My carrier there!"

Rodimus looked at cyberstep. "What? what is it?" Rodimus questioned.

"We've got a hull breach- one of the hangers on the upper decks. Resealing.. now, structural integrity restored, Heat shields in place, rodimus?" The mech asked and looked at rodimus.

"Set us down, we're not going anywhere until we find out why the quantum engines malfunctioned." Rodimus ordered and pointed out. Cyberstep growled.

" Sensors indicated we're missing fizzel, polaris, waverider, hyperion, rad, Horizon.. we're 40 autobots down, all told. They must of have, i mean, the breach must've.. "Drift tried to explained.

"They're not dead, i'll tell you that now. No one dies on my watch. No one, not this time. How i know, because cyberstep in a furious rage paging beast right now until his carrier is safe. We'll find them as soon as we touch down. We'll find them.."

Cyberstep stand behind rodimus as rodimus looked up, making a promised smiled.

" _We_ better _find_ them.. or it's your head.. _rodimus_."Rodimus gulped and smiled nervously. He would see the red glow under cyberstep visor as cyberstep stormed out of the command room.

No one has ever… _ever_ seen cyberstep this ticked off since.. we'll since he gotten ahold of starscream and destroyed starscream wings. Cyberstep was one to accept mercy but when it comes to harming family, he gets royally ticked off. The bots, including drift all gulped.

"Remind me why he's here?" Rodimus sighs and rubs his optic's, they knew the only few mechs not scared of cyberstep was ratchet, magnus, even optimus prime himself, ironhide and cyberstep family. They we're the closest ones to cyberstep and he keeps it that way.. that is until his mate got involved with him and was left on cybertron with prowl.

The ship has landed on the planet as cyberstep stepped out. "Big place. Where do we start?" Rodimus asked.

"How about over there?" Magnus pointed out as the red with teal swirls stepped out of the ship and crossed his arms.

" Not a bad place to start." Magnus looked down at the mech and smiled.

"Under the meteor shower?" Rodimus looked up at the falling bots.

"That's not meteor shower.."Cyberstep walked out of the ship as they turned to him. "That's my carrier, fizzle, polaris, waverider, hyperion and rad. Their burning up as they enter the atmosphere." Cyberstep explained as roddy pinched his nose bridge.

"not a good start." he muttered

"Sorry?" Magnus asked.

"I said not a good start!"Rodimus spoke up a bit louder. Something's been nagging cyberstep from the start though. Ever since fuse told him about brainstorm, he couldn't place his finger on it.

"Im coming for you carrier. "Cyber looked up at the sky as he watched the last falling autobot.

Rodimus, magnus and the red bot watched him. Cyberstep transformed and drove off. Everyone knew it was his job.. everything fell onto his shoulder. When optimus offlined, he became the matrix guardian until rodimus accepted the responsibility. That burden was his.

Protecting his family was his burden.

Fighting the decepticons wasn't his burden… but being megatron's son… was.

Protecting cybertron.. a place he never called home.. was his burden.

His temper comes from his fears.. and now.. right now.. he is fearing.


	2. Search and Rescue

Cyberstep, magnus and rodimus drove to the ship with four mechs, three on magnus and one of himself. Cyberstep swerved a bit but steady his speed.

"Okay, so tell me what happened-in layman's terms please. The fewer syllables the better. Since makes me twitchy to many rules."Rodimus said, you could see his alt mode twitch at the word science.

cyber sighs. :: _Then how about just one rule - the first rule of interstellar travel- never stand next to the quantum generator when it's about to flout the laws of physics::_ Cyberstep listened and kept quiet, letting his alt mode swerve and steady from each pain from the bond to his carrier.

"So who broke the rule?" Rodimus asked.

:: _Um… good questions. one of the duobots i think. Shock? Ore? i can never remember which is which the blue one. Ore. He's sort of been-what's the scientific term?_ " Brainstorm questioned.

"Totally mashed into the genertor itself." Cyberstep explained as he head the fingers snap in the comm.

"That… sounds… That sounds terrible. Even coming from you cyberstep."Cyberstep chuckled at rodimus fear.

:: _Oh in many respects it is. But look on the bright side: At least it'll be easy to tell 'em apart from now on without cyberstep denting them up.::_ Brain storm replied. Cyberstep grumbled in annoyance.

"I can't believe you just- Would you have made that joke if i was ultra magnus?"Rodimus questioned as cyberstep and magnus speed up a bit.

:: _If you were-? oh hell, he's not there is he?::_ Brainstorm questioned with worried.

"No he's busy- We're all busy, so far we've only found half of the forty autobots who were sucked out the ship. "Rodimus explained as he drove behind them.

"In face, let perceptor fix the generators. I need you in the air helping us search. The sooner we- Wait.. I've got chromedome on the other line." By that time.. Rodimus switched over. Cyberstep remain silent, worried for his carrier.

Horizon blue frame already showed small burnt spots but on his wings.. the wings too more damage, burnt from the tip and down. Only half of the autobot symbol showed, he knew his carrier gonna need wing braces.

-

Cyberstep was the first to be on the ship, since magnus and rodimus told him to. Walking past the damaged whirl with his carrier in his arms. He walked into the medibay ignoring ratchet, swerve and tailgate talking as he walked to the empty slab and lays his carrier down.

Horizon vents were quiet while cyberstep was connect him to a energon dripper. He knew horizon struggled to hold energon in his tanks. Cyberstep began to repairs.

"So who's he?" Tailgate asked as swerve and ratchet looked at them.

Ratchet smiled. "That's cyberstep, he's a gladiator and medic. One of the best i had trained. He's attending to the patient right now."Ratchet explained with a frown. Watching cyberstep, sit on the chair as he was replacing the burnt wiring with new wiring. Remaining silent.

"He stormed down the halls! How can he be that gentle with a patient without snapping? He gets really scarey." Swerve spoke up in shocked. Ratchet chuckled and nodded his head.

"So his name is cyberstep, he likes to… be scary and he's a medic and gladiator. That's weird, never heard of a bot do that.." Tailgate said with his head innocently tilted.

Swerve went back to talking with tailgate and whispers something. " **Six Million years!** " Cyber looked up from his spot and blinked, before jaw open then closed.

Horizon was slowly waking up as ratchet walked over. "you have quite a fall, horizon." Horizon whined and cover his audios.

"Too loud.. processor is killing me!"Horizon muttered loudly. Cyberstep chuckled.

"He's normal." cyber pointed out.

-

Fuse followed rodimus into the room. "So?" Cyclonus turned around to look at rodimus. "Yes"

"You must've?" Each word was answer before the question.

"Followed you, yes. I attached myself to the hull and hoped for the best." cyclonus admit. Fused crossed his arms.

"Cyclonus, you got to understand…" rodimus tried to speak.

"Ah i know where this is going." Cyclonus noticed.

"What you did in vector sigma's chamber… the way you turned against galvatron.. you bought us time. You put your life at risk, and your actions well, i guess in a way your actions saved everyone but before you grand gesture, you led the attack on kimia. You were responsible for the death of dozen of autobots. That's kinda hard to overlook." Rodimus lectured before explaining what had happen.

"You want me to say i'm sorry, but i can't. It was war and i was following orders. And i know how that sounds but i figure you and cyberstep can handle the truth. Look I don't want to be a decepticon. I certainly dont want to be an autobot. What i want is to start again. Cybertrons gone and something new-Something inferior-has taken it's place. if there's something better out there, i want to find it. That's all." Cyclonus explained his situation and fuse blinked, snorting as he looked away.

"Should of known cyberstep was written into this" Rodimus and cyclonus looked at fuse and sighs.

"Fuse, dont talk like that, he's your brother and he changed a lot of decepticons minds. He may not like ruling or fighting but hes the strength and the minded one. " Fuse waved his hand. Cyclonus shook his head.

"I respect cyberstep choices, even when he went up against megatron, that what change me. " Cyclone explained.

"Okay." Fuse looked at rodimus.

"Okay what?" Cyclonus questioned with unsureness.

"Okay, you can join the crew. I guess that was why you followed us."Rodimus said with a shrugged.

"You can't be serious?!"Rodimus looked at fuse.

"Then why didn't you just say yes when you walked in?" Cyclonus asked with annoyance.

"Because when i walked in i was going to say no. I'm giving you a chance cyclonus-because of two things. One no one else will and two you respect cyberstep- which is really strange- but if you let me down you can save a hundred planets and it won't make a jot of difference."Rodimus explained.

Cyberstep and magnus walked in with whirl behind them."Then let me be less abstruse… screw up and i will demolish you."Magnus warned.

"Whirl? Cyberstep?" Cyberstep nodded his head.

"I would be with carrier, rubbing his back and helping him urge the spude out of his tanks but you know, when magnus drags me.. He _really_ drags me along.. "Cyberstep grumbled.

"I found him skulking in the corridor. He assures me he's not going to make trouble. That's why i brought cyberstep to make sure that doesn't happen."Magnus gestured to him before rodimus spoke up.

"Whirl, i heard you and cyclonus were fighting before we left. This seems like a good opportunity for the pair of you to make peace."Rodimus said, encouraging. "Cyberstep.."Cyber nodded his head and walked up.

Cyberstep pulled out two datapads and writes on them, listening to whirl.

"Things got a little heated back on cybertron, didn't they? I can't remember who started it but i'm the forgiving type-so let's just say we were both in the wrong, particularly you, and move on. Whaddya say?"Whirl held his claw out.

Cyclonus pulled whirl close into a hug before cyberstep handed the datapad to cyclonus. Cyclonus took it and bowed.

"I'll give in my report.. prince."Cyberstep growled and cyclonus walked out of the room.

"Prince? You're a prince. No way, i don't see it. " Cyberstep began to grow annoyed as he gritted his dentas. " Oh now i remember, you megatron little kid."Cyberstep reached up and pulled whirl close to his face as his visor lit purple.

" _Don't… ever… call… me… prince.. or you won't have blades to fly with.."_ Cyberstep warned with a threatening growl as he pushed whirl away and tossed the datapad into whirl chest as he walked out.

"We'll that was amusing."Rodimus spoke quietly as magnus sighs. "I do hope they do not get on cyberstep bad side. Remember last time…"Rodimus and magnus both shivered at thought.

 _My life wasn't what you expected.. I was tempted in my life. Tricked, teased, pushed around. I was the prince of the decepticons but every time i ran to ratchet or carrier, even my uncle optimus. They never once said " you're the son of a decepticon, start acting like it." Which i was glad about. Everyone else said it. I hated the word prince. I hated the moment, my bond was to megatron.. I hate calling him sire, I hate calling him leader._

 _Even in my sparkling life i was tormented by him. Lucky for my carrier, he made sure the bond was blocked off for good and made sure i had a sire-creation bond toward prowl. Prowl was the best, then my older brother, he an awesome seeker for a smart guy. Fast and smart. Then my little sister, she was like the cloud with the sun rays, sweet and innocent. Shame she had to bond to sunstreaker then.. disappear. Then my mate, silver came into the picture. Blind he was but i protected him through and through. Then.. Swiftrage came in. By primus i tried to help him.. i do. But when he rejected our carrier and turned to the decepticons.. It was my job to stop him but i couldn't.. he was loyal to shockwave, loyal to megatron and to his sire… blackout._

 _Then there my twin siblings, Nightsky and sunstone. Primus, you can look at them and be all confused too. Science and inventor, they're a great team. Nightsky is a seeker, a femme who can't fly because of her fragile wings. Sunstone, he's a grounder, also megatrons son. There was also my two younger brothers Goldrush and nova. Nova stayed behind to be with his sires. Hope he's accepting everything._

 _Goldrush, he's on the lost light as our tactical chief. Then my last set of brothers. Fire and fuse. Fuse has a temper, he hated his twin no matter what. He followed the old rules, which interested him. He always said. "Seekers stick with their own kind and never inbreed with any grounder. Same goes for the grounders" Stubborn aft is what he is._

 _And there fire, sweet and innocent and currently enjoying his time hanging around chromedome and rewind and currently meeting up with tailgate and swerve. Oh and don't be shocked.. Hehe.. he looks alot like prime himself._

"Fire look!"Rewind pointed toward swerve and tailgate. Fire looked up, lowering his wings, his armor was blue, pure blue with red streaks on his wings and sides, silver antennas twitching as his royal blue optics blinked.

He watched swerve and tailgate walk over. "Good to meet you properly tailgate. When we saw you yesterday you were having a bit of an episode." Rewind waved and stood by chromedome.

"Yeah, i thought i'd killed nut-job." Tailgate said.

Tailgate looked at fire as fire waved slightly. "Oh that's fire, cyberstep 3rd littlest brother!" Rewind said as fire nodded his head head.

"Minicon seeker."Tailgate visor lit up brightly."Fire, you-you're the first generation of minicon seekers!" Fire blinked and rubbed his head nervously.

"It's nothing really. III just stopped growing is all. "Fire smiled sheepishly.

"Wheres are you three headed anyway? " Swerve asked as chromedome looked down.

"Back to the lost light. Haven't you heard? Brainstorm's found the remains of hyperion and polaris. It looks like they were caught up in a piece of the ship when they-" A mech flew backed into the ground. "Crashed."

"This again?" Chromedome asked.

"I know. What are the chances?" Rewind said as chromedome sighed.

"Claw.." Skids pointed at his back.

"It's skids right? What are you doing here? We all thought you were de-" Swerve was interrupted as skids spoke.

"Just take off the damn claw!" Chromedome walked over and messed with the claw.

" Okay, okay..! So Fiddly.." Chromedome pulled the claw off.

The weapons on skid back raised up. "Finally! Alright then, .." Skids ran forward at the yellow machine and jumped up.

"Let's dance." Skids fired his lasers, punched the thing and landed on the ground as the thing fell.

"Wow. Times like this, i'm glad i have a camera bolted to my head…" Rewind said as fire flutter his wings with interest.

"Nice moves!" Swerve cheered.

Fire giggled "Who are you? An ex-wrecker? Once of the warriors elite? an old pit fighter?" Swerve questioned.

"I'm a theoretician."Skids said. Fire tilted his head with curious.

Fire walked over to the thing, letting the others talk and kneels down beside tailgate, examining it.

"Nineteen eighty four." The thing buzzed as it smoked.

"Sunstone and nightsky, would of loved to examine this, probably dissected it to see it tick." Fire blinked as he looked over his shoulder to see the nervous looks on his friends faces.


	3. The Sparkeater

Everyone was talking "Everyone functional is here except red alert, fuse and ore- i mean shock. " Rodimus spoke calmly with his arms crossed.

"I sent red alert and fuse to investigate reports of noises on the lower decks shock must be spark-sitting for red and fuse."Drift said as cyberstep walked in, holding the fussy sparkling.

"Shocks with them, i got spark-sitting duty this time."Cyberstep moved the sparkling in his sparkling hold and closed it, sighing softly.

Rodimus nodded his head."Look at them all. What do i tell them?" Magnus, drift and cyberstep looked at them.

"The _Truth._ We've lost contact with cybertron, we can't find ourselves on the map, ore is dead, hyperion and polaris are dead, but cyclonus is happy so that'll be okay." Magnus said to encourage rodimus but it failed.

"See, this is why you're not a public speaker. " Rodimus admitted.

"I think you should accentuate the positive. We've got the quantum generator working again- big tick. We're ready to resume our guest- big tick, we manage to save virtually all of the autobots who got pulled outside- that's more of a little tick but it's still a tick" Roddy looked at drift but cyberstep was glare at drift as roddy moved behind magnus.

Drift blinked confusedly before cyberstep slammed his fist into drift head. Drift stumbled forward and whined, rubbing his head and glares. " That really hurt!"

Cyberstep snorted. "Your annoying me with that word!" Cyberstep crossed his arms as drift flails.

"What word?" Drift ask confusedly.

"Tick… Tick… Tick.." Cyberstep used his glossa to make a ticking sound as drift pause.

"Ohh, whoops. "Rodimus stepped out, nudging the air nervously.

"Cyberstep.. please try to calm down. I know your on the edge and well with two decepticons here and calling you Pr-" Rodimus closed his mouth when he saw cyberstep cold glare. "Y-you know that word and with your carrier in the medibay. Just try to calm down with the anger, please." Cyberstep huffed and walked over to the chair and sat on it.

Rodimus and drift sighs in relief. "Thought he gonna kill me. "Drift made a bored face. Rodimus hummed.

"I think i rather go for a mixture of depressingly gloomy and offensively upbeat, then be killed by him. Thanks guys."Rodimus admitted and related.

Cyberstep sighs as he watches fire. He adjusted his frame for a more comfortable position since he does have fuse and red alerts sparklet in his sparkling hold. Cyberstep smiled at his younger brother, missing the old times.

"So you gonna show us your alt mode or what?" Swerve sweetly convinced, pointing at tailgate.

"Your Obsessed with the alt modes! It's not polite to ask someone what they turn into! How'd you like it if it kept-"

"Te'll you what: I'll speak to skids ad pop back in about six million years' time, year?" Fire blinked and sat on the floor, listening to them.

"Ooh alright then but i'm taking it slow, okay?" Tailgate agreed.

Swerve nodded his head as tailgate looked at fire. "You okay, fire?" Fire nodded his head quickly.

" Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just missing my grandsire is all."Tailgate nodded and pat fire head. Fire smiled and looked at skids.

" Hey!" Skids looked at swerve then at fire but back at swerve. "I've been thinking. ' Swerve and skids, ' Yeah? " Skids had a unknowing look. "Okay then: Skids and swerve." That kinda peeked skids interest a bit.

"The mouth is moving but they words, they make no sense."Fire giggled and stood up.

"What he means is you two should team up! Do you want to team up with swerve? 'Cos you two definitely should!"Skids blinked and looked at fire before leaning toward swerve.

Fire backed away. "Enlighten me, swerve, i thought this was gonna be a quick trip, but the guy over there with the eyebrows says were on some sort of quest..?" Fire looked at swerve and skids frowning.

" Uh-huh. We've got to find the 12 fragments of the primal key, unlock the infinity gate. Travel sideways into time defeat the agent of chaos and restore order to the multiverse. " Swerve explained as fire face palmed.

Skids had a look that said ' are you serious?' " Nah, i'm just messing with you. We're actually looking for the knights of cybertron, a mythical group of supremely powerful do-gooders who left our homeworld 10 millions years ago to civilize the galaxy, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs in the form of star map hidden inside a dead matrix." Swerve explained.

Fire smiled and shakes his head. "Yeah… i kinda liked the first one better" Skid admitted with his arms crossed.

" You should hear fire explain it, he makes it more better."Fire pouts and looked away with an embarrassed look."He has a lot of interesting stories."Skids looked down at fire and nodded.

"I think.. I would like to hear those." Fire looked up at skids and nodded.

"Then i'll give out the best stories ever! My grand carrier told me them!" Skids made a ghostly smile and nodded.

"Everyone!" Everyone turned to rodimus, drift and magnus as rodimus waved his hand for everyone to calm down."Today was er… Today was not a good day. Thanks to accidents beyond our control, there of our members-Three of our friends- are no longer with us. "

Fire looked down as swerve set his hand on fire shoulder. "Is it better or worse that they died during peacetime? I don't know but i do know that i'll miss them, and that they'd want us to press on. 'Till all are one." Rodimus looked at cyberstep as cyberstep nodded and stood up, taking his visor off.

Rodimus moved out of the way. "Once we've pinpointed our location on the matric map, we'll set course for crystal city, where we'll invite the circle of light- the first disciples of the knights of cybertron- to accompany us on our journey. In the meantime, does anybody have any pressing questions? I know that this is a time of mourning-for quiet reflection- but does anyone have anything important to ask that absolutely can not wait?" Cyberstep questioned as he crossed his arms.

"I do, yeah."Cyberstep looked at whirl.

"What are we gonna call ourselves? When i was in the wreckers we called ourselves… well, we called ourselves 'The wreckers' It was a good name. I looked around me and i'm embarrassed. I've never seen suck sorry bunch of has-beens and hangers-on, no offence red sea. " Whirl apologized to the red and teal mech.

"Carry on, whirl, carry on."Red sea chuckled and waved off whirl.

"He'll i dont even know who half of you are. So yeah, we need a decent name if nothing else."Whirl explained as everyone was thinking.

"How about-everyone ready for this? The crusadercon's?" Swerve said with the Parentheses to equal out the word.

"The crusadercons." Rodimus spoke. Swerve nodded. Fire bit his lower lip.

"Yep" Swerve smile widen.

"As in decepticons." Rodimus pointed out.

"Not necessarily. The crusadercons, man the more you say it the cooler it sounds" Swerve said in awe.

"Someone hears that, they're gonna think we're decepticons."

"With autobot badges. " Fire added.

"What so it has end in bot?"

"We'll yeah, omibots, monsterbots, duobots.. Its kind of an unwritten rule, isn't it?" Skid asked.

"Forget the rules! The war's over- it's time to reclaim the suffix!" Swerve was trying hard to convince rodimus. Fire sat there watching swerve and looks out the window and skid noticed the look on fire face.

"Red alert for you. He sounds a bit agitated."Rodimus takes the communicator. "Red what the? Slow down.. I can't make out what your saying. What? What's not your fault?" Rodimus tried to calm red alert down." Rodimus spoke softly.

-

"Its not my fault this happened! I mean, I assumed this was a stranger neutral ship! I didn't check all the rooms before we bought it! I didn't think!" Red alert was cut off.

:: _This is what i sound like when i'm losing my patience red what precisely is the matter?::_ Rodimus sighs in annoyance.

Fuse was rubbing red alert back. "I think- I dont know how, but i think- "Fuse takes the communicator into his hand as he spoke quickly.

"Theres a sparkeater on board!" Fuse yelled.

 _:Rodimus? Did you hear me? I said there's a sparkeater on board."_ Fuse tried to get communication. Slowly rodimus face was plain then it turn into a smile then a grin to a wide smiled.

"Cool." Was rodimus reply.

Cyberstep optic ridge twitche.. "You did not just say that. " Cyberstep jumps down and walks over to swerve, tailgate and skids before kneeling down to fire. "Stay with them little brother." Fire nodded and hugs cyberstep as cyberstep held him close before looking at skids and swerve.

"Protect him.. or ill have your heads on a steel plate while your body's hung from the pipe upside down." Swerve backed up and nodded quickly as skids had a look of no fear from cyberstep threat.

"Listen up, everyone. There's been a bit of incident on the lower decks. Nothing to worry about, but as a precaution i'd like everyone to pair off, find a habitation suite and wait inside until i give the all clear. Everyone that is except ratchet, trailbreaker, cyberstep and chromedome. You four are with me. "Everyone picked the partner as fire stood closer to skids seeing him as a more better mech then swerve.

"Aw come on fire, i'd protect you!" Fire shook his head.

"No thanks swerve.. you never used a gun and i think i'd rather stick with a mech who isn't scared of using one."Skids chuckled and smiled. Swerve pouted.

"Just a precautionary means in response to something absolutely unremarkable and actually quite boring. "Cyberstep moved radio system and walked to drift.

"Watch him please." Drift nodded and happily takes radio system into his arms as radio system whines and curls up in his recharge.

"But if anyone here does happy to carry industrial strength energy dampeners or turn into a nullification booth, or is able to generate level 9 containment fields, then hey, feel free to tag along.. So um Til all are one!"Cyberstep explained as cyberstep heard magnus and rodimus whisper about something before they left.

-

"I didn't think they were real. I thought they were like the shimmer or the necrobot or the seething moon." Cyber nodded at trailbreaker.

"I believed they were real, heard about them from ratchet and carrier a lot, I always wanted to take one back in a cage for nightsky and sunstone"Cyberstep admitted calmly and crossed his arms.

"Yeah but has anyone actually seen one before?" Cyberstep shook his head.

"People are afraid to believe. Sparkeaters, cyberrvores, soulsnatchers.. The nightmare with a thousand names." Drift said, pointing out a few non believing stories. Cyber shivers and kneels down, pulling a wire out of the chest for ratchet to look at.

"I once arrested a decepticon who thought he was a sparkeater. He called himself the dark assassin, devourer of souls and propagator of infinite sin. His real name was blip." Magnus said as cyberstep shook his head, seeing ratchet getting more impatient..

"I've got a 29 second of grainy footage that's supposed to show a sparkeater attacking the gimlin facility on varas centralus. Varas or veras. One of the two. Maybe verus? you know it actually be.-"

"Enough!"Ratchet snapped. "Enough-Prattle! Has everyone forgotten about the dead duobot?" Ratchet pointed out.

"Ore. Thats his-I think his name's ore."Rewind said as he records.

"All of you-You're so quick to blame the boogieman. Yes, this autobot has suffered massive internal trauma, but in my line of work that's not unusual." Ratchet explained.

"Cyberstep.. scan. " Cyberstep nodded and put his visor on as he scanned ore frame.

"Missing a brain module." He said as he looked around, only to see it in trailbreaker hand.

"Okay then- explain this. A brain module sitting outside a body without a head wound. now i'm no doctor, but thats strikes me as intensely wrong." Trailbreaker said.

"Whoa. Two questions. One: are we saying he vomited his own brain? And two: Can i please go home?" Rewind held two fingers up and pointed at the brain module.

Cyberstep shook his head and held his hand out for the brain module. Trailbreaker set it in the palm of cyberstep hand as cyberstep looked over it.

"It's rossum;s trinity, isn't it? The spark, the brain module, and the transformation cog are interlinked, damage to one can cause the others to shut down. The sparkeater paralyzed him by disconnecting his brain module but wanted to preserve the integrity of the spark" Chromedome used his index and thumb to make it looking like a connection of some sort of signal.

Ratchet spoke." Blah blah blah… Here's a novel suggestion: Why doesn't everyone stop talking and let me inspect the body?"Ratchet grumbled, looking over the body as cyberstep looked at the brain module before looking down, shaking his head. "Okay so, it is a sparkeater- if thats what you want to call it. "Ratchet made quotation marks with his fingers. "Technically, it's a robo carnivorous entity: a techno parasite invades a host and then sustains itself by feeding off-" Ratchet was cut of.

" Off sentience itself." drift finished

"For the record, drift? Don't ever.. _ever_ finish my sentences." Ratchet warned and glared at drift. Cyber heard typing as he and ratchet turned around, watching goldrush limp over to them.

"H-how, what? When? How did you get out of you Hab'?" Rodimus optics widen at goldrush. "I got all codes to all rooms, i am prowls son afterall.. Anyways, any second opinions chromedome?" Goldrush smiled softly.

Chromedome sighs and thinks. "And there was me thinking you'd invited me along for my dry wit."Chromedome looked at cyberstep. "Cyberstep, could you put his brain back in his head? With corpses, i prefer to go through the eye sockets." Cyberstep nodded his head.

"I can not begin to tell you what's wrong with that sentence." Drift pointed out with a disgusted look on his face.

"Grow some bearings drift.."Cyberstep mumbles.

"Hey! I do have bearing!" Cyberstep smirked.

"Really? Because last i check, you were running from ratchet wrench of doom." Drift tried to make a comeback but goes quiet and pouts.

Cyberstep put the brain module back into the body as chromedoome walked over with needles coming from his hand.

"What the hell is he doing?"Trailbreaker asked as rewind shrugged.

"Something stupid. Something he promised he'd give up. "Rewind pointed out as trailbreaker figured out what rewind meant." He's a-Well technically he's a mnemosugeon neuroscientist who specialize in memory."Rewind explained.

"Oh, 'mnemo' with an m, 'cos when you say it out loud, it sounds like-anyways. But - ore's dead! A big red slab of dead!" Trailbreaker pointed out. Rewind shrugged.

"I don't quite get the science of it, but he knows the brain so intimately that he;s able to read memories and other stuff, too stuff we don't talk about." Rewind said as he spins his finger over his helm.

"Which makes this tricky. I might only be able to access the last few moments. see after they die, the details… tends to get a little sketchy." That's all it took for chromedome to go quiet after using his needles the plug into the eye sockets.

"Sometimes i wish rapid was here… It would of been hell of a lot easier since he would project the imagines that chromedome is seeing."Ratchet nodded his head. "It helpful for medical as well.."

-

" I can't see a thing in here" Fire whined.

" Are you sure this is a habitation suite, swerve?" Skids asked as fire squeaked and trip over serve leg.

"Swerve!" Fire flails.

" Sorry little buddy." Swerve chuckles. " Hey, my navigation skills are second to none. I once tiptoed across the mitteous plateau without- "Swerve was cut off.

"Wait, i think i've found the lights…" Skids said as the lights flicked on.

"Whoa.."Fire blinked and walked around to explore the room.

"You know what, skids, fire? This.. isn't a habitation suite. This is better. This is a bar!" Fire walked around the counter and smiled.

"Fuse would have a blast in here. It's always funny to see him drunk on his toes. "Swerve smiled at fire as he followed.

"Oh man- an engex distillery! Maybe i could-I mean, there's no reason why i couldn't- See I always wanted a place like this. "Swerve said as he picked up a glass and examine it. " Me an' blurr, before the war, we had this plan. After he'd retired from racing we were gonna open up a bar. And- yeah, i was gonna synthesize the drinks and he was gonna do the music, and it was going to be-It was going to be perfect. Anyways. Stupid, really.. Stupid. "Swerve traced the rims of the cup.

Fire was opening the hatch on the ceiling as he sat on Skids shoulder." Hey, what are you two doing?" Fire pulled the hatch off.

"What, this? This thing with the ceiling? This is called escaping. They've locked us in. I could blast my way out but knowing ultra magnus that's probably punishable by death and then more death by cyberstep if i left fire behind." Fire blinked and as his cheeks heated up slightly.

"Don't worry about me, i'll be fine."Skids looked unconvinced at fire. "But rodimus ordered us to stay put… "Fire and skids looked at swerve.

"Yeah, see me and orders, we had a bit of falling out. We're not really on speaking terms. So when i'm told to wait in my room. Well… i kinda have to do the opposite. Must admit. I had you pegged as a fellow rule breaker."

Fire stays quiet."Me? No, no no. I'm all mouth my nickname at the academy was ' shut the hell up' " Swerve said as he tried to stop them. Fire tried to speak up as skids used on hand to nudge fire up a bit further, letting him climb into the ceiling.

"The thing is, swerve. I've got these gaps. Gaps in my head. I can't remember the last… I dunno. Six months. And there's this bigger gap, from way, way back. A huge portion of my life is missing." Skids admit, pointing at his head before putting the hand the held the gun against the opening of the ceiling.

"Oh! so climbing into the ceiling is your way of… your way of… nope, still don't get it."Swerve asked in confusion.

"Until the gaps are filled i don't know who i am. Not really. Not completely. And right now. Right now, I kinda like that. It means i can make it up as i go along, it means i got an excuse. "Skids said as he climbs into the ceiling.

"You'd find it easier if you put the gun down."Swerve pointed out, filling a glass of engex as skids poked his head out of the ceiling.

"Hey- do you listen to much music?" Skids asked. "Um, not really why?"

"Doesn't matter." Skids goes back into the ceiling. "Skids and swerve, That does sound pretty cool."Skids spoke of the name as fire nodded..

Chromedome groans loudly and fell backwards with his head on rewinds lap.

"Chromedome!" rewind called out as chromedome held his head." The worse the death, the more painful the memories… First thing you ever said to me."Rewind reminded chromedome.

"What did you see, chromedome? Was it a sparkeater?" Rodimus asked calmly.

Ratchet helps chromedome up with cyberstep. "We'll, if by sparkeater, you mean freaky, mad-eyed psychopath who floats above the ground with half his head missing and dead souls in his guts, then yeah. I'd say we've got a positive I.D"Chromedome spoke with not so much reinsurance.

"Okay. That's bad." Ratchet said.

"How bad? On a scale of one to megatron…"

"It's in a resurgent phase. Ore was its first proper feed in a long, long time- now that it's rediscovered. It's taste for fresh sparks it won't be so delicate."Ratchet explained as chromedome was now on his feet.

"This is a dark and troubling omen. Spark eaters are drawn to pain and emotional trauma." Drift looked at cyberstep.

"Wait.. Emotional and trauma? Well nightsky is out of the question.. Fire been through hell and back.. He's one even for his small spark." Cyberstep pointed out as drift nodded.

"I don't know what the neutrals were up to but horrific things must have happened on this ship. We're being punished." Drift said, his arms crossed with the look of seriousness.

"With all due respect, drift. I don't think i've ever heard such a load of-"Ratchet was cut off.

"Shock! I said ore. I meant shock. His name's shock. Sorry everyone"Rewind remember the name of the offline bot. Cyberstep smiled slightly at rewind remembering.

"Okay, lets find this thing, magnus has sealed all the interior doors, so it'll be confined to the corridors."

Cyberstep growls. "Weren't you listening, rodimus. It'll be disoriented after gorging itself. Once it finds its bearing it'll go after the brightest spark."Cyberstep pointed out as ratchet spoke up.

"It sounds like it's carrying a semi-digested sparks, so best not shoot at it. Containment is key." Ratchet explained, pointing out a bit from here and there. Unknowingly, goldrush was watching.

"Split into teams and scour the upper decks. Drift and i will stay here and try to find out how the neutral kept it trapped for so long."Rodimus explained.

Goldrush stepped up. "I will be going with cyberstep, red sea and magnus."Rodimus shook his head.

"No, i need you in the tactical room, planning on how we capture this."Rodimus commanded as goldrush nodded, walking away.

"You're not coming with us?" Magnus asked with worried.

"No need. It'll come back here and i'll be waiting. " Rodimus smiled with amusement.

"and you're sure of this because..?"

"Because cyberstep said it would go after the brightest- look, i've just got a hunch, okay?" Rodimus convinced as cyberstep sighed and shook his head. Magnus nodded as they left, leaving drift and rodimus alone.

"I have a bad feeling, something going to happen that would royally piss cyberstep off."Rodimus commented as drift looked worried.

-

Red sea strolled down the halls, his scatter blaster held on his shoulder, grinning widely with a challenging optics. He wasn't afraid of anything and he bared the autobot with pride. His armor was dark crimson red with teal swirls on his legs, arms and chest.

His deep blue optics brighten with amusement. "Whirl! Whirl! Let me in! This isn't funny! If they catch me out here they'll think im disobeying orders-again! I'm already in trouble for lying to get onto the ethic committee! Wait.."

Red sea shook his head, looking at the yellow and white bot. "I thought i heard something." And then there was a sound, the bot wasn't lying. Red sea now recognized the little bot.

"Animus?" He spoke up but the sparkeater jumped down beside the little bot.

"Scrap! Animus! Run!" Red sea yelled but it was too late, animus spark was torn out and eaten by the spark eater. Whirl stepped out.

"Hey sparky!" Red transformed and drove toward the sparkeater while whirl followed him in his heli-jet.

" If there's one thing I _cant stand_ it's a messy eater!" Whirl spoke up with sincer.

Red and whirl fired their rockets at the sparkeater but the forcefield came around the sparkeater. Red transformed quickly and skidded as he looked at magnus then at the animus. Whirl followed after red and looked at magnus and trailbreaker.

"Red sea that was reckless… you. If both of your missiles had connected with an unprotected spark you could've destroyed half the ship!" Magnus lectured at them..

"Which half?" Whirl asked.

"Guys! I can't hold this force field must longer…!"Trailbreaker force field went down. "Sorry- It felt like my spark was burning through my chest." Cyberstep and red alert walked over. "The sparkeater gone, It's running."

"No, it's hunting. It found the brightest spark."Magnus pointed out.

"But.. It's headed west. Towards the munition stores. There's only one actual room down there. Rungs office." Cyberstep optics widen in fear.

"Fire.. that way.." Everyone looked at cyberstep and they could see the horror in his optics before he took off running as they hear something break. They looked down and saw the cracked visor on the floor.

"He snapped.. He literally snapped out of fear. " Red alert kneeled down and picked the visor up.

" He's out to kill now."Magnus said as everyone looked at him.

-

Fire and skids were now crawling through the vents as skids mostly stayed closer to fire to protect him like cyberstep order.

" They're perfect. "Fire peaked through the vent opening as he cover his mouth and gasped as rung scream terrified.

Skid moved fire out of the way quickly, pull the vent gate open as he pulled rung into the vent. They crawled through vent, fire under skids.

"Thanks for the save. How did you both know i was in trouble?" Rung as he crawled.

"The terrified screams kinda gave it away and i don't want to panic either of you any further but.." Skids poked behind him as fire optics widen.

"That thing is right behind us. "Fire spoke quietly as he was the spark eater crawl quickly after them as the incoming message came up as they crawled. Fire cover his audios as skids held fire closer to his chest.

They made it to the elevator shaft as run was on skids back while skids was sliding down on the grappling hook. Fire followed them using his jets to hover him down onto the elevator roof, curling up and covering his head. He listen to rung and skids speak but the sounds of the spark eater making him shake in fear.

A thunk was heard as fire looked up. Skids kneeled down and open the hatch. Rung stood up.

"Engine room." Skids asked as fire whined.

"Whats going on? It's skids, right? We all thought you were de-" Brainstorm was cut off.

"Just take us to the damn engine rooms!"

Skids wrap his arm around fire as ceiling of the elevator ripped open letting them fall. Fire frozen as skids looked at him and then look at the spark eater.

"Go! Go!" Skid pushed the doors open.

" But brainstorm's trapped!" Rung got out as skid climbed out and ran.

"Then i'm sorry…He's already dead!"

They made it to the engine room as drift stepped into the way of skids as fire whined.

"Hey!" Rung ran to rodimus who grabbed him and held him wide open. The spark eater growled but turn, leaving rodimus and rung confused as the sparkeater screeched loudly at fire and skids.

Skids held his weapon out at the spark eater as cyberstep appeared in front of them, sliding.

"Now!" cyberstep grabbed the sparkeater arms, fighting him as he grabs the sparkeater mouth.

"No one…. touches.. MY FAMILY!" The generators activated as cyberstep struggled with the sparkeater, forcing his weight onto the sparkeater as rodimus ran over and help put the sparkeater into the wall, getting one of both of this arms stucked.

"Wow, just wow, i thought i was the risk taker…" Drift commented as cyberstep vented.

"First rule of interstellar travel… "Cyberstep panted the words.

"Never stand next to the quantum generator when it's about to flout the laws of nature.." Rodimus finished cyberstep sentences as they looked at each other and grinned. Soon They began to laugh.

In the medibay, ratchet had repaired and recreated rodimus and cyberstep arms. Rodimus was being… or well _was_ being lectured before he lectured magnus which was the first. Ratchet was moving the scrap metal out of the transformation cog.

Cyberstep was.. praising skids.. something he never done. But he was relief that skids kept fire safe from the sparkeater and was thinking about it.

"Cyberstep.." Cyberstep looked down at the minicon seeker as fire raised his hands up.

Cyberstep kneeled down and picked fire up. "I've decided.. Skids, be fire's temporary guardian, will you? "Skids stiffened and stood up, nodding his head. Fire and skids looked at each other, smiling.

"He may be a little whiner and always scared but he'll be the perfect charge."Cyberstep nodded at skids words.

"Good. But if you lose him, if you hurt him, If you so dare as much as yell at him. Your head will and always will remind of my steel plate." Cyberstep warned as skid nodded his head quickly. Fire giggled.

"Let's go to swerve!"Fire was sat down as he grabbed skids hand, pulling him out of the medibay. Cyberstep tried to stop the, before smirking.

"Nevermind.. i let him has his fun for now. " Cyberstep tensed as he heard tailgates words.

"I want to be a decepticon." Cyberstep and ratchet looked shocked.


	4. The Virus

_after all that happen. I feel as if i still need to prove myself to the universe. To primus, That i wasn't no prince, wasn't a killer. I was a mech who needed to find out who i am, what i am and where i belong. I make threats here and there to protect my family, to warn bots not to harm my family. They were all i got._

"Take a seat, fuse and ratchet"Fire waved as he was cleaning the cups. Swerve looked at them.

"What can i get you?" Swerve asked as fire looked at skid.

"Skid no grappling in the bar, please." Skid smirked playfully, knowing very well that he doesn't follow orders. Ratchet and swerve chuckled.

"You've… open a bar?" Ratchet asked.

"I know. Isn't it the coolest thing you've ever seen. "Swerve said as fire set the glass of engex energon in front of fuse. Fuse snorted and snatched the glass, before walking away to an empty table.

"Does rodimus know? Does magnus?" Swerve smiled and shook his head.

"Not yet but-" Fire cut swerve up.

"He says it's fine. He'll invite them over to the official opening. So it'll be fine."Fire said, waving his index finger as swerve set the small glass of yellow engex energon.

"On the house. To celebrate finding ourselves on the map."Swerve said.

Ratchet lean forward as cyberstep walked over and leans against to corner of the counter. "Either it's very far away, or you've invented the world's smallest drink" Ratchet looked at it and squinted his optics.

"It's free, shut up." Fire scolding and pouts. Ratchet huffed.

Cyberstep laughs as fire held a regular engex energon to cyberstep as he takes it, drinking it slowly. Cyberstep picked up on ratchet and swerves conversations, listening about the datalogs. Behind him there was a crash that made fire flinch.

Fuse had just kicked the little service bot to the other end of the room, along with the tray as the fuse grumbled and sat down, listening to chromedome and skids talk as skids held the innocent drone bot in his arms and talked to fuse.

Cyberstep shook his head as fire walked around to clean the mess." I think it's time I made a house call."Ratchet said as cyberstep looked at ratchet and swerve who was nodding. "Cyberstep, gonna need you with me on this one. "

Cyberstep nodded his head."Of course, grandcarrier.

-

They were on their hover-jets. "And we can't just park outside because…" pipes asked.

Cyberstep sighs. "Because Pipes, we're playing it safe. This whole setup feels.. I don't know. I can't put my finger on it. " Cyber admitted.

" Its called intuition, and its nothing to be ashamed of. You should surrender to impulse more often." Drift said with a seriously looked.

" Drift trust me and cyberstep, you don't want us to do that." Ratchet warned.

"Okay, guess what. Anyone? No? No guesses? " Pipe asked.

Cyber began to sigh once more in annoyance, looking over at pipes and leans back more on his hover jet seat.

" tell us then, pipes, because we have no answers to what your slaggin asking." Cyber curse, letting his kaon accent out a bit before snorting.

" alright, alright. I'll tell you: this is my first proper alien planet." Pipes admitted, earning an look from cyberstep that had his optic ridge raisen up.

" Really?" Cyber asked, the look on his face was between dumbfounded and shocked. Ratchet watched cyber, chuckling at his facial expression.

"It's true! " Pipes whined." I've spend my whole life on cybertron or on space stations. That's why I joined on the lost light; so me and the universe could get up close and personal." Pipes explained.

Ratchet looked at pipes." and what do you make of the universe so far? "Ratchet asked.

" Wet. Wet and kinda brilliant. " Pipes admitted, leaning the hover jet to the side and stuck his hand in the snow before leaning up again.

" Not always like that, pipes." Cyber spoke with a sigh. Pipes looked at cyberstep with a frown.

" Come on this had to be your first too, right?" pipes questioned cyberstep who shook his head.

" Not really. Been on earth and its dry and wet, pretty as well. " Cyber smirked as pipes. Pipes sat there pouting.

" Hey, is this D.J.D stomping grounds, isn't it?" Pipes asked, being curious.

" D.J.D?" Cyberstep question in confusion.

"Decepticons justice division, something megatron created during the war. " Ratchet explained to cyberstep and watched as cyberstep optics lowered in anger.

" I see, continue please pipes." Cyberstep mutter quietly.

Pipes nodded. " Swerve saw them in action onçe, he was so traumatized, he couldn't speak for six months. Said it was the worst thing that ever happen to him. " Pipes finishes.

" What? Seeing the d.j.d? "Ratchet asked.

" No, not being able to speak." Pipes answered.

" grandcarrier this whole delphi thing, what if everything turns out.. okay, like plain out okay?" Cyber questioned ratchet. Ratchet looked toward drift and cyberstep.

" Then I get to do something **nice** for a change and make pharma the new chief medical officer with cyber as his assistant." Ratchet spoke up.

Cyber jaw dropped. " No, I will not work under someone I don't even know, grandcarrier. " Cyber said, frowning

Ratchet sighs and looks at cyber. " I know you won't, you'll end up reckless but someone has to be a medic for your carrier though. " Cyber huffed and nodded.

" Why pharma?" Drift asked.

" you wouldn't ask that if you'd seen him at work. See, good medics.. its all in the hands. There's a certain.. fluidity of movement. You can't build hands like that." Ratchet explained.

" Are you telling me that all the best medics were forged?" Drift questioned with a weird look on his face.

" Yes. And **No**. I **don't** think it proves the existence of adaptus." ratchet said.

They made it up to the building and park the hover jet as they stood up and climbed off the hover jets.

"Look deserted. We couldve parked outside after all. " Pipes said.

"Wheres the fun in that?" Cyberstep smirked at pipes.

"Why dont you look for a way in while i cloak the marbs." Ratchet saids.

Cyberstep snorted and looks around for a way in, crossing his arms and walks to the door with the big red X on it.

"You scared of the D.J.D, drift?" Ratchet asked.

"Im sorry, am i what? Am i scared?" Drift asked sarcastically.

"Ex-con like you. High profile ex-con." Cyberstep pointed out, knowing he had gone through the records of each autobot. "Just asking."

"Wait.. You.. went through my records?!" Drift asked in shocked, earning a nod from cyberstep. "Would i be _standing here_ if the D.J.D bothered me in the _Slightest?"_

"I've operated on P.O.W.S who've begged me not to save them. Decepticons who'd rather died than get added to the DJD's list as punishment for getting captured." Ratchet explained.

"But you're not bothered by any of this?" Cyberstep asked.

Drift shook his head. Cyber frame relaxed as they came to the door with a giant X on it. Pipes looked at cyber, ratchet and drift before pointing it out. " Oi, you three- what's this then?" Pipes asked.

"That would be the second most terrifying symbol in the universe." Ratchet said.

"What's the first?" Cyber asked.

Ratchet jabbed his thumb over to drift. "Give drift your spark casing and he'll show you." Ratchet smirked.

Cyberstep shivered and glared. "Not funny, grand carrier." Cyber muttered.

Ratchet laughed at cyberstep and shook his head.

"You know ratchet, one day you'll say something nice to me and just before you tell me i've git a terminal illness or something." Drift pointed out.

"No offence drift, but even though that, he won't say nothing nice to you."Cyberstep pointed out.

"Do you have to ruin the daydreaming moment, cyberstep?" Drift asked with a point.

"Yes." cyber said straight forward, smirking at drift. "Yes. yes i do." Cyber smirked at drift before he heard footsteps moving backwards in the snow, hearing the transforming sound of a t-cog and driving toward him, only to blink when drift flipped out of the way.

Cyber looked behind him as his optics widen, teleporting out of the way. He knew it was risky as he appear before ratchet and stumbles back while pipes drove into the wall. Ratchet grabbed cyberstep arm and shoulder to steady him.

"Be Careful, the snow slippery." Ratchet calmly mutter to him.

Cyberstep nodded, sighing as he rubbed his spark casing. He couldn't believe his spark ached during the ability, it has never did that before. Perhaps it was behind the distance between his carrier and him or that it was the distance between him and silver.

Cyber watched ratchet and drift walk in as he began to think.

"Uh, guys?" Pipes look over himself. "I'm gove in.." Pipe began to realize. "Oh, primus, i think i'm cover up int dead people!" Pipes said loudly.

Ratchet snapped his head at pipes. "That cross on the wall? The one you just ignored? It's the universal plague symbol. It means" stay the hell away" in a billion languages." Ratchet snapped at pipes. "It does not mean "Ram-raid A Morgue" " Ratchet growled at pipes, pointing at the door.

Drift held his hands up. "Hands up who think this trips just a taken a slight turn for the worse." Drift face had a very scared, unsure look.

"A plague symbol? Am i infected or something?" Pipes asked in worried.

Cyberstep walked in slowly, looking around carefully. "I don't know, probably not. Hopefully not." Ratchet said, his index and thumb fingers on his chin.

"What about "definitely not?" Is "definitely now" in there? 'Cos thats my favorite." Pipes questioned.

Cyber listen to the rust sound of movement, moving his hand as he pressed the side of his visor to thermal active as he saw undead frame moving toward pipes as cyber teleported behind pipes. Drift heard the sound. "Pipes! Behind you" Drift pulled his swords out but not getting a chance.

Cyberstep appear behind pipes and swung his wrist brace blade from the right to the left, slicing the undead frames into pieces. Drift stepped back, blinking in confusion as he looked at the spot cyberstep was at and the spot he was in, watching cyberstep clean the blade.

"Gross, i just shined it too. " Cyberstep muttered in annoyance.

"What was that?!" Ratchet yelled.

"I dont know, but my reading was saying it was infected." Cyberstep pointed out.

Ratchet groans and smacked his face. "I'm talking about _You!_ What's with all the... _slicing?"_ Ratched questioned out.

"He was gonna attack pipes." Cyberstep sheathed his blade back into his wrist blade.

"He was _moving at a two miles an hour"_ Ratchet spelled it out before sighing. " I _know_ this guy. His name was prowl…" Ratchet explained.

"Prowl? Not our prowl right?" Cyber asked.

"Not _the_ prowl..Obviously" Cyber sighs in relief. " _This_ _prowl_ changed his name to… _dent_. I think it was to avoid confusion. " Ratchet explained with his hands on his hip.

"Dend? He called himself… Dent? As in.. as in dent?" Drift asked. Cyberstep sighs.

"Yeah, well. All the best names are taken." Cyberstep pointed out.

Drift huffed and crossed his arms. Cyberstep walked to the door and reach out to open it as it slide open, making cyberstep tense slightly.

"Hello?" An innocent voice was heard. "Anyone down there? I thought i heard… bickering." First said looked at cyberstep gray chest before looking up to his visor. "Cyberstep?! " Cyber moved out away which made first aid shocked. "Ratchet?!" First aid said.

"First aid. Do me a favor and explain.. Everything." Ratchet mutter seriously.

"Oh, ratchet.. Its back, we've been hit my this.. This virus. This red rust. Everyone dying.."Cyberstep listen, crossing his arms. "I was trying to find a patient. He escaped the ward and…" First aid looked around

"Is this him?" Cyber jabbed his thumb at Dent(prowl). First aid looked over and walked to the rusted frame, kneeling down and setting his hand on the frame's chest.

"Ah, i see you did find him first." First aid said happily.

"Sort of." Ratchet faked coughed.

" Sorry, he attacked pipes." Drift said.

First aid looked at pipes and got up quickly, moving to him and flashing the light into pipes optics. "Pipes, i presume?" First asked.

"What gave it away? Was it the pipes?" Pipes asked.

First aid hums. "You _look_ okay...ish" First aid said.

"Can we try that again without the _ish_?" Pipies asked.

First aid pulled out a marker and made a X symbol on pipes mask. "Keep still. This just tells other people that you've came into contact with an infected patient." First aid explained.

"Stay the hell away" Pipes said.

"Yeah. something like that." First aid tried to comfort pipes but pipes had that very worried, unhappy look.

Soon they were walking down the halls, pipes stay clean back while drift was in the middle of cyberstep and pipes. " So, what happen when it infection actually takes hold? What are the symptoms?" Cyber looked at first aid. " I would like to have a container sample, just incase carrier can find a cure" Cyber asked.

"You seriously what to bring that onto the ark." Drift said, looking at cyber with shock.

"So-so, Im on the uneasy side of it but also on the knowledge side of it. " Cyber twist his hand a few times.

"Your optics corrode and leak down your face, and then, full-blown liquefaction. Every hinge. Every pivot, everything rusts and your spark start to collapse. We lost dozen in the first hour, the security team, the miners." First aid explained the most of it.

"And the X on your face, 'aid?" Cyberstep asked.

"That says you've touched infected patients. How come you aren't displaying any symptoms?" Ratchet asked.

"Ambulon thinks us medics are more resilient because we've been exposed to so many diseases. Personally, i think that sometimes, just somethings, mine-life persists." First aid explained more.

" You should have called for help." Drift said.

"Easier said than done. All communications have been down since the big bang." Aid explained.

"The big bang?" Cyberstep asked.

"Five days ago there was this noise-like explosion. Loudest thing you've ever heart. Afterwards people started getting sick. We think the d.j.d's detonated some kind of dirty bomb, we just cant work out where and to be honest. " First aid explained.

"I see, so this could of decepticons written. "Cyber said, following 'aid into the room.

"We've had other things on our mind." 'Aid reminded.

Cyberstep and ratchet walked over, moving a scope over their optic and examining the older patients. "I cant help noticing, ambulon, that none of your older patients are showing signs of infection. They are now, crying." Cyberstep pointed out.

"Yeah- for some reason the long-term patients aren't affected." Ambulon said.

"And this is everyone?" Ratchet asked.

"I heard he was still alive. I'd sort of hopes, for his sake, i'd sort of hoped it wasn't true" Ratchet tried not to hope as cyber looked away.

" Pharma calls it an eternal coma, we've tried everything to wake him up…" Amulon placed his hand on his hand.

"Except that's a teensy bit of misleading isn't it?" Aid asked.

"Here we go again… "Ambulon sighs. "First aid, we've been through this a thousand times.. " Ambulon was gonna lecture but cyberstep stepped in.

"Been through what?" Cyber asked in curious.

"This is.. Something your carrier you be very interested in. But i know you will be some what interested, cyber. Ratchet. I've developed a new method of spark rescitation basically, very basically, you use a healthy spark to boost a faltering one. I call it " jump-starting" Ambulon says it's too risky, but _you're_ here now, what do you think?" First aid asked ratchet.

"A jump started. " Cyber mutters softly to himself and looks away.

"I think it high time i saw pharma." Ratchet said.

"Okay, fine but, i can do this. I'll use my own spark. It'll work trust me." First aid held the spark resuscitation up.

Ratchet had an unbelieved look on his face. "What do you say?" First aid asked.

"First aid, as much as how your strong your spark is, do you really want to risk it?" Cyber asked.

First aid nodded his head quickly. "Yes."

Cyber and the group made to the quarantine room as cyberstep blinked, looking over it

"What've you done to him?" Ratchet asked.

"I haven't done anything. That the quarantine room. Pharma was working in there when we heard the big bang. The door seal itself automatically. It won't open until enough time has passed for all known techno-pathogens to die out." Ambulon said.

"But that'll take-" Ratchet tried to finish.

"Millions of years, yeah. I know." Ambulon said.

"Cyberstep, what do you make of this?" Ratchet looked at cyberstep. Ambulon blinked and stepped away as if he saw megatron stood before him.

"This glass is thick, like silence poof. You know, to keep the sound from getting inside. Complete silence from the inside than outside. It'll be hard to teleport in. But the thing is… It's hard to hear him from out here. " Cyberstep said, looking at the key pad.

"You do know you can override this lock, right? You're the ward manager, you've got clearance to unlock anything."Ratchet pointed out.

"Really?" Ambulon asked dumbfounded.

Cyber watched pharma write something on his hand before placing his hand on the glass window that said, _Your friend is sick._ Cyberstep optics widen.

"Pipes!" Cyber and ratchet turned around.

"Help me…" Pipes walked toward us slowly.

" Pipes, relax, just calm down." Cyber tried to be convincing.

"I feel funny.." Pipes shook.

"Keep talking. Talking is good. Talking means you're winning." Ratchet said softly, keeping drift and cyberstep away.

"But i'm scared." Pip whined.

"Focus! Describe your symptons, help me understand! Tell me how it Feels!" Ratchet asked.

"It feels wet.. And kinda horrible." Pipes said before stopping as one of his pipes fell off, groaning loudly.

"Drift! Keep him occupied while i get pharma… Dont kill him! " Cyber moved over to the lock and began to press the coding into it.

While drift was busy defending off pipes, cyberstep managed to get the door open only for pharma to run off but at the cost, drift gotten sprayed on. They moved pipes onto the slab before drift started to show the symptoms.

Then something knocked pharma back into the wall as cyberstep snapped his head over to the door, moving in front of ratchet, drift and pharma. Slamming his fist into the palm of his hands.

"What have we here?" The first 'con said.

"Some autobots, some medic's, a traitor and.. Ooooh and the prince." The second 'con said, smirking.

Cyberstep snarled, glaring coldly at the two. "Really? All i see is a room full of the dead and the dying." The first 'con said, chuckling. "And believe me, that's a generous use of the present tense."

"How about, i just smash you both right here and right now." Cyberstep forward as ratchet grabbed cyberstep shoulder, shaking his head.

"Alright, enough. I don't know who you are, but you've won, okay? Just don't provoke cyberstep anymore. If what it takes to send you on your way, then fine, you've won. " Ratchet said as cyberstep looked at his grandcarrier with shock.

"Ratchet.. My friend here begs to differ." First aid came to view with the giant mech behind him. " And if you like, cyberstep, you can partner up with him."

Cyberstep smirked, knowing who the mech was. " Love too." Cyberstep walked up as fort max walked behind cyberstep.

"Do you two realize you're standing? No? Then let him explain." cyberstep said, stepping out of the way, teleporting.

"My name is fortress maximus. Five years ago i was attacked by a decepticon so powerful he redefined the word. He took me down _hard._ I was paralyzed, lobotomized and left for dead. All of which means that _right now_ , you two, you two _decepticons_ , being the _very first_ decepticons i've encountered since i was all but _beaten_ to _death_ are standing in the _very worst place in the universe._ " Fort max announced loudly.


	5. Pharma First Then Home

Energon splatter on the ground, cyber sat on the slab. Panting from his vents, looking at his hands, he felt.. Disgusted for once. He had helped fort max pass judgement before he stood up, clenching his hands.

Ratchet had manage to calm fort max and right now, there at gunpoint. Cyberstep staring at pharma who had a gun pointed at ambulon and ratchet.

"Oh, you must be _joking"_ ambulon said, sarcastically.

"Yeah? Tell that to the gun in my hands." Pharma said.

"Pharma? What are you doing?" Ratchet asked.

"Those two decepticons?"Pharma asked. " _Ambulon_ was the one who _released_ them. He's to blame for the _virus_ , Too- I'm sure of it" Pharma looked at ratchet then at ambulon. " ten years ago, he switched sides. " Cyber wasn't believing what he heard, ratchet defending someone was the first for him, someone other than prime. "Said he went awol to avoid being part of some prototype combining team. Except it was all a ruse, a way to infiltrating our ranks.:

"That was ten years ago, Pharma! Things changed, mechs like him changed!" Cyber pointed out, his arms out a bit to his side.

"Yeah.. Change, like i believe that! You could be a decepticon under that armor for all i know, Prince cyberstep of the decepticons." Cyberstep narrowed his optics. " You switched sides the moment you were born from that breed." Pharma said, smirking.

"I _was_ a decepticon, pharma. Listen to me, I'm not a decepticon anymore. " Ambulon pleaded.

"Then how come you're not _infected_?" Pharma ask seriously

" I think i _am_. I just haven't displayed any _Symptoms_ yet." Ambulon said, whining.

Cyberstep glared and moved between ambulon and pharma as his visor darken a bit to show the coldness on his face. " You know what, pharma? I believe you're lying." Cyberstep coolly.

"What?" Pharma said in shocked.

"You said the two decepticons were mono formers, but look, they had transformation cogs!" First aid pointed out.

"So i misread that scanner." Pharma protested.

" _And_ you said they attacked you.. But when first aid told me about it, all your injuries have been caused by a laser scalpel. Your laser scalpel..." Cyberstep pulled up the scan from a small datapad. "...Your wounds are self-Inflicted." Cyberstep pointed out.

"Ratchet.. Buddy.. You don't _believe_ this, do you?" Pharma asked ratchet with innocence.

Ratchet had his hand on his weapon sheath as he pulled his gun out, cocking it. Ratchet knew cyberstep was right, he had that in his spark. Cyberstep has habit of little lies but being truthful was something cyber earned from being raised around a prime.

"Show me your _alt mode."_ Ratchet said, checking the ammo in the gun.

"What?" Pharma asked.

"You still turn into _a jet_ , right? So let's _see it._ " Ratchet asked, glaring toward pharma.

Cyberstep smirked. "You want me to.. No!" Pharma shook his head violently.

"Then I'm sorry, Between you and cyberstep. My grandson has more knowledge than you think." Ratchet aimed his weapon to pharma head.

"What are you _Doing?!_ " Pharma asked loudly in shocked.

"The symptoms are triggered by _Reconfiguration,_ aren't they?" Ratchet asked.

"The virus spread by _touch_. But it lies _dormant_ until the person infected _changes shape._ " Cyberstep explained.

"You're telling me the only reason i'm not _dead_ is.."First aid stopped as cyber nodded his head.

"Because you haven't switched to alt mode, and you haven't switched to alt mode because you can't" Ratchet said.

"How'd you know?" First aid asked with shocked.

"It's obvious, your _Weight distribution_ is off, you've got _reduced flexion_ in your spinal strut and you _always_ lead with the right leg when you walk all signs but massive, flashing neon signs of a _malfunctioning transforming cog._ " Cyberstep explained, frowning softly.

"And you.."Ratchet pointed his thumb toward ambulon. "When you offered to carry pipes to the ward. I thought you'd use your _ambulance mode_ but no you _literally carried him."_ Ratchet nodded his head.

"It was only when pharma mentioned the combining team that i realized why your robot mode _makes no sense_ reason why there no wheels or windows." Ratchet noticed, looking toward cyberstep.

"You _can_ change shape but you just _never had a reason to_." Cyberstep finished explaining.

"I have the _world's worst alt mode._ I turn into a _leg_." Ambulon explained.

"So in other words, ambulon: From the verb "To ambulate meaning to walk about." Its sounds like a stupid name."Cyber rubs his head.

"Yes, i know."Ambulon mutter.

"but all the best names are taken " Ratchet looks at pharma. "And _that_ pharma _, buddy,_ is why you won't change shape: you know the properties of the virus and you know you'll get sick." Ratchet pointed out, keeping his blaster aiming at pharma.

Pharma lips twitched into a grin. "Very good. No, really. _Very good._ "Pharma looked at cyberstep. "Full marks."

"Put the gun down, pharma, you can't shoot four bots with one shot." Ratchet pointed out with a glare.

"Oh, i can do better than four."Pharma warned, aiming the blaster toward the life generator. "I can shoot the life support machine and kill twenty!" Pharma grins.

"Wait pharma, don't do-" Cyber tried to stop him as pharma fired the weapon and blasted hit the machine, exploding.

"Ambulon! Second aisle, quickly!" First aid ordered, pointing toward the second aisle.

"Second aisle _What?_ " Ambulon panic." What am i _doing?!_ "

" _Tracer_ and _Backstreet_ are on direct spark support! Pump them full of _neurex saturate_ , and when their vitals push 440 use _flash-flame_ to cleanse their backup systems!" First aid explained. "They'll ride the boost, trust me, just make sure you flatten the kickback curves. Ratchet, help me get _pipes_ and _drift_ onto fresh recharge slabs"

Ratchet did what was told, moving drift onto the recharge. "What about pharma?" Fort max asked.

" _Go after him!_ He won't get far. Self inflicted or not, his wounds will slow him down." Ratchet explains.

"Grand-carrier?"Cyber walks over, asking in worried.

" Go with him, cyberstep."Ratchet looked at cyber."Do what you got to."Ratchet said softly.

Cyber nodded and he followed fort max, chasing pharma into the C.R chamber as he shut the door and opened the fake flooring before going in. Cyber growls, teleporting into the C.R room and nodded at fort max to return. Fort max returned the silent command and ran off to the others.

Cyber climbs down the ladder, moving his visor into his subspace, touching the ground as he look toward pharma. " _There_ you are, _Finally._ " Pharma spoke up, looking over an orb that was open by his hand. " I was giving _ratchet_ two more minutes, but you'll do. _Dramatic escapes_ are worthless without witnesses." Pharma explained, turning around with his blaster pointing toward him.

"Pharma, i got no weapons so right now i'm unarmed. "Cyber showed his arms and hands. "Look, even my wrists are empty. I've come here as a friend to talk some, or hopefully a little bit of sense into you" Cyber explained.

"Oh cyberstep, it's been awhile since anyone tried to do that." Pharma grins. " And for what's it's worth you're my friend too. "Pharma awed. "Aw, im sorry, i didn't mean to make you _cry."_

"What?" Cyber touched his face, his optics widen in shocked. "I didn't shift. "Cyber muttered as it clicked in his processor. "My ability." Cyber said, frowning.

"Don't worry, this won't take long. "Pharma spoke with a wide smile. "See, it's important that you understand why i did what i did. 'Cos i think _you'll_ be able to _get it_. Other people not so much, but you being trained by ratchet. " Pharma snorted. "We're both _doctors,_ right? We know all about life-and death choices."

Cyber crossed his arm, glaring. "Pharma, will you-"Cyber was interrupted.

"Shut it."Pharma kept the blaster pointed. "Have you ever wonder why Delphi is still standing?" Pharma asked.

"No."Cyber narrowed his optics.

"Or how we're able to fix all the autobots who get injured defending the nucleon mines, despite the decepticons justice division.. The division your mech creator made.. Was making this planet their home?" Pharma asked.

"He's _Not_ my mech creator." Cyber snapped, growling lowly.

Pharma smirked, snorting at cyberstep comment. "The D.J.D could wipe us out in seconds. They _Could!_ But they don't. And they don't because of me and for some reason because of you, prince." Pharma explained.

Cyber framed slightly tensed at the word that no one dared called him as his hand squeezed the elbows of his arms, glaring. "Dont.. call me that. But I'm _listening._ I'm also thinking of a way to.."Cyber voiced turned venomous. ".. _purge_ the system by grabbing a _blunt object_ and _beat_ the smile off your smug, traitorous face. "Cyber pointed at pharma. "Just so we are clear."

"Well, _that's_ not very friendly, it it?" Pharma said, sounding a little sad.

"Deal with it."Cyber said, shrugging his shoulder, ignoring pharma pity sorrow.

"Listen: The D.j.D ignore us in exchange for a regular donation: transformation cogs." Pharma explained. "The leader of D.J.D is _Addicted_ to changing shape. He's burnt through _hundreds_ of cogs."

"It's a rare condition, but it's _treatable._ " Cyber pointed out, shrugging again.

"Yeah, except he doesn't _want_ to be treated, he just wants the next hit." Pharma pointed over his arm, showing the boxes of T-cogs.

Cyber raised an optic ridge. " So.. wait. " Cyber thought for a second before his optics narrowed, gritting his dentes tightly. " You _harvest organs_ on behalf of the D.J.D?!" Cyber shouted, his spark pang in anger.

"In the Beginning, it was just patients who.. Despite my best efforts and had died on the ward. But demand _increased."_ Pharma said, chuckling.

Cyberstep shook in anger, his red optics dimming in anger, leaving the small gold hint in his optics appear. "You.. You started killing your patients." Cyber spoke with venomous.

"I made judgements based on their chances of survival. Sometimes i let them _slip away_." Pharma saw cyberstep anger. "Sometimes, if they really were clinging to life, i'd help them _relax their grip."_ Pharma explained.

"By doing that, you let them offline?" Cyber narrow his optics.

"Yes. But the quota _kept_ increasing and prowl kept sending _new_ autobots to defend the nucleon mines." Pharma pointed out.

"You could've closed Delphi! You could requested a transfer, or you could've run away!" Cyber snapped, snarling a bit.

" There would've been too many questions i had to do something that would _force_ high command to shut us down without implication me. I had to Engineer a _Plague._ " Pharma pointed out in anger.

"You could of Comm. ratchet and he would of had me talkin to prowl about it." Cyber frowned.

"You can talk to prowl about it? Before for all this?" Pharma asked in shocked.

"Yes, prowl is my carrier mate and he is my step sire. He would of helped if i asked him to." Cyber said, rubbing the back of his helm, looking at the red liquid that was leaking onto his hands.

"But i didn't because i found two decepticon nonentities and paid them to play the victim. Once inside delphi, they detonated a _bomb."_ Pharma explained.

"How? I thought they were locked up in their cells." Cyber blinked in confusion.

"Their _cell_. Ambulon let them _share."_ Pharma crossed his arms.

"That doesn't make sense to me."Cyber mutter.

"They were _combiners._ One was called sonic and the other.. "Pharma chuckled. "You'll like this one, the other was called boom." Cyber raised an optic ridge. " And at a prearranged time, when the coast was clear, they lived up to their names." Pharma explained.

"Ah, now i know who you're talking about."Cyber snapped his digits and smirked at pharma which made pharma confused. "For them to use their ability, they needed to find the right _frequency_ and _volume._ They can pull a cybertronian apart from the insides and you had a decepticon detonate a sound bomb you invented, an echo laced with a virus." Cyber explained, crossing his arms.

"You did your homework."Pharma said, smirking. " everyone who heard the bomb got infected and then when they next changed shape, the coolants, the dispersant, the anti-rusting agents in and around their gods all cross-contaminated trigger a slow molecular breakdown."

"But yet, you forgetting. It also activates during a time person who uses their abilities as well. " Cyberstep pointed out.

"Hmm, smart too. " Pharma hums. "It was loud and it was nasty and i want you to admit.. "Pharma lightly steps toward cyber. "I very much want you to admit, that you're a tiny bit impressed." Pharma smirked in connection

"Oh.. i am very _impressed._ " Cyber smirked, watching pharma face turned into shock. "I am so impressed that i'm _appalled_.. But you're utterly _stupidity_." Pharma face changed to a look that said ' _he was fooled.'_ "You should've paid the decepticons to detonated the bomb within earshot of the D.J.D!" Cyber snapped.

"They said it was more than their lives were worth to even _tried_."Pharma tried to argue.

"I still don't get it. "Cyber shook his head, his gray armor cracking, the red liquid leaking into his mouth."The plan was for sonic and boom to release the virus and for you to lock yourself in _quarantine_?" Cyber asked.

"I'd intended to in in a C.R chamber but they were all occupied. The quarantine room was the only other soundproofed environment i thought i'd be able to break out."Pharma reminded.

The memory appeared in cyberstep mind, nodding his head. "That was to keep you safe but it failed, locking you in there for good."Cyber sighs.

"When you showed up. I _panicked._ If anyone could work out what was really going on, it was you. After you freed me, i had no choice but to ask sonic and boom to murder you and everyone else. But you.. A prince should've been offlined by now." Pharma explained.

"Should i take as a compliment?" Cyber asked, raising another optic ridge again.

"Yes."Pharma smirked.

"Pharma. I've been held at gunpoint by the best. By megatron, starscream, By shockwave. I remember stories grandcarrier was telling me. Remember killmaster? With the want."Cyber chuckled at the story. "And i've never heard or known anyone take so long to explain their _grand plan_ in that story."

Pharma nodded."I remember."

"But i want to _thank_ you. Not only have you proved that you _fully deserve_ what coming to you, but you've given me time to _fight back"_ Cyber explain.

"Fight back?" Pharma asked. " _Fight back?_ "Pharma repeated." You're _falling apart."_

"I've infected you." Cyber smirked

"You haven't even _touched_ me." Pharma mocked.

"While you've been _talking_. I've been _corroding_. I've sprung a thousand leaks and for the last 34 second..." Cyber pointed at the ground, showing the trail of running rust, pouring under pharma." _You've been standing in my rust._ " Cyber smirked evilly.

Pharma yelped and jumped out of the puddle of rust as cyber moved quickly, slamming his fist into pharma jaw, knocking him into the desk of tools, shifting his hand a bit as he picked up the blaster, aiming it at pharma. "Yep, that felt good as i thought it would." Cyber said.

" _Stupid_! You don't think i created a vaccine in case something like this?" Pharma asked quickly.

"Actually, i calculated the minutes you would tell it so, pretty much i was counting on it. So hand it over, slowly."Cyber hums.

"And if i don't?" Pharma questioned. Cyber aimed his blaster at pharma. "Except you can't do it, can you? You can't shoot me. "Pharma smirked. "You can't shoot me because kill an _unarmed combatant_ goes against every circuit in your body."

"If you _must_ know, i can't shoot you because my trigger finger isn't working, not because of my coding." Cyber sighs.

Pharma stood up and smirked. "In that case, i'd like you to meet my two best friends.."Pharma wings shifted into blasters as they fired into cyberstep chest.

"You were never gonna be a good doctor" Cyberstep teleported away quickly, using a lifeless frame as a shield, to give pharma a hint that he had offlined, activating his child avatar. Keeping his arms crossed as he watched pharma climb onto the roof top. "And you weren't a good autobot."

"Cyberstep?"Pharma looks around in panic.

"Hmm, _a solid light avatar_. Yes. Feels _Different_ this time, though i think the templates corrupted. Carrier needs some work to do with it. You can see why _remote projection_ went out of fashion. It's energy intensive, it demands total concentration and they could never get the hair to look real. In fact these days, the only thing it's good for.."

"..Is keeping a simpletons distracted." Pharma arched forward as cyber teleported behind pharma, tackling him to the ground as the vaccine landed on the ground, bouncing off the roof.

"No! That's the only vaccine!"Pharma reaches out to grab it as cyber slammed his foot into pharma arm, smashing it. Pharma screamed and stood up quickly, punching cyber into the ground. "You.. you.. _you imbecile!_ You've killed us both!" Pharma shouted.

Cyber stood up and locked hands together with pharma, glaring. "You died a long time ago, pharma. And as for me, my hands don't work, i'm miles from anyone i truly care about and i'm still coming to terms with the fact that after a four millions year build up peace has turned out to be a massive anticlimax, the bottom line? I've have nothing else to lose."cyber said.

Cyber kicks pharma off the edge as his arm came off, watching pharma fall. "I perhaps, stand corrected." Cyber rubbed his head with his slightly good arm as he watched pharma grip the edge.

"Please, cyberstep." Pharma begged. "You can't leave me hangin here forever"

"It won't be forever. Look at that _elbow_ : there's no way that's a load bearing joint. When you fall, you have a _choice._ You can change into a jet and fly away, _activating the virus_ or you can stay as you are and pray the impact doesn't _kill you_."Cyber shrugged his only shoulder that was intact to his chassis."If you want _my_ medical option"

Cyberstep stood up."You need to make a _judgement_ based on you _chances of survival._ "Cyberstep said, looking toward the snowy wasteland. "You never know what you'll learn by changing paths, think about it.. _pharma."_

Cyber heard a whirring sound as cyber turned around in confusion to see pharm blasters heating up but before they were fired, drift came out of nowhere, swinging his sword into pharma hands, slicing them off.

Drift landed onto the ground as cyber moves to him quickly.

 _By the time we returned, cyberstep had passed out from the lack of energon but being covered in mostly rust, ratchet look point of caring for cyberstep. No one knows if pharma survived the fall or took flight who knows, they didn't bother looking for him since they were too busy saving the other lives._

 _No one knows how cyberstep gotten the vaccine, he said it just fell into his hands. But it was when we were all traveling to the lost light that ratchet dropped his bombshell…_

"Chief medical officer? Me?" First aid pointed at himself.

"In _principles,_ yes. You _impressed_ me back there. You're world was falling apart but you took control. You stayed calm and put others before yourself." Ratchet smiled

"And unless i'm mistaken, it was you who sent the datalog, the one that exposed pharma's malpractice?" Cyber asked.

"How'd you guess?" First aid asked.

"Since we've first met, you've been quoting fisitron.. 'Life persists' and all that. You're a fan of the _wreckers."_ Cyberstep smirked. "I know a few as well."

"You have to introduce me to them."First aid almost squealed before blinking behind his visor. "I didn't know who was behind the high death rates but i had to tell _someone_. As the only wreckers fan on delphi, the _datalog network_ served as a _secure frequency._ " First aid explained.

"I could've _saved_ him, you know. Fisitron, _ironfist_. I think that a lot" First aid looks down.

"Yeah." Ratchet sighs. "Yeah, me too."

"At least we've seen the back of pharma." First aid said.

"This will sound strange, but.." Ratchet sighs. "I'll miss him. I'll miss his talent. For most of his life he was a fantastic doctor." Ratchet admit.

Cyberstep his hand on his grand-carrier shoulder, nuzzled his head. Ratchet relaxes and pats cyber head. "If you remember him at his best." Cyber started.

"You'll always carry a part of him with you."First aid finished.

"Yeah. _Two_ parts of him actually"Ratchet leans back against the seat.

"Beside first aid, i'm gonna be you partner or medical procedures. "Cyber explained.

"Thanks cyber."First aid nodded.


	6. Fort Max Take Over

"Here. He's locked himself inside rung's office." Drift pointed at the location, looking toward rodimus and horizon. Horizon frame slacked in worried from fuse but knowing his youngest son was in great hands, he crossed his arms, trying to think of why fort never harmed him.

"Ah, so this becomes a hostage situation." Rodimus said, humming in his tone.

"We don't know what he wants. Blasters trying to patch into an old security camera above rungs desk to give us an idea of what's happening in there." Drift pointed out. "In the meantime, we've got people outside, just give the nod and they'll kick the door down and go from there."

"No!" Horizon snapped in worried. Rodimus and drift looked at the blue and gold seeker, seeing the worried in the seeker eyes. "Rodimus already put rung's like at risk, if he does that a second time, he'll start taking it personally." Horizon pulled out his datapad, looking through it quickly.

"Horizon right, drift."Rodimus said.

The doors slide open as magnus walked into the room. "Sorry, i'm late, i was showing _swerve_ the door. Have i missed the part where you get criticized for allowing a deeply disturbed recently resuscitated prison warden to walk around with a _loaded_ gun?"Magnus question was stated.

"Guys.." Blaster announced as everyone turned to him"...I've almost got a picture. No audio, i'm afraid but look at that shape, someone else is in there. A third person." Blaster said, watching the picture.

"Let's hope he's a calm, sensible type, a peacemaker." Rodimus pointed out

"And were in, and the third autobot is…" The picture cleared, showing the familiar helicopter bot.

"Oh hell…" Drift muttered.

"Scrap, It's whirl!" Hori said, frowning.

Unable to hear anything, fort max pounded whirls face in, unknowingly horizon had felt this familial connection to fort max but he couldn't remember it. His frame tensing as he grips his head, trying to hold back the aching pain of his processor trying to fry itself.

"Rung's looking straight at us. He spotted the camera." Drift stated.

"Clever rung.." MAgnus nodded his head.

:: _And i'm the one who apparently is having an acute psychotic episode::_ Fort maxt spoke over the audio.

"And We've got audio! Nice one blaster." Rodimus acknowledged happily.

"Not me, i dunno what just happen." Blaster said confusely.

:: _Fortress maximus please, why are you doing this?::_ Rung pleaded.

Horizon kept his head in his hands, watching the video.

:: _Yeah. Don't hostages-takers usually have a list of demands? If you want a helicopter you're gonna have to ask me very nicely::_ Whirled joked.

:: _There's a communicator over there, why not give rodimus a call?::_ Rung said calmly, looking at fort max.

Horizon walks to blaster, struggling to stand on his knees. Magnus turned his head, his optics widen in shock, knowing what was wrong with the seeker before using his large hands to keep the seeker up on his feets.

"Horizon, you must rest for now. " Magnus muttered softly in the seeker audios.

Horizon shook his head. "No, something not right. Something.. Familiar about fort max." Horizon whispers softly."But what is it about him that makes me feel like i known him"

:: _You wanna know why i'm doing this? You wanna know what this is about? This is about accountability. This is about a duty of care. Your words not mine.::_ Fort max said, pointing down

:: _I know you're burning max, i know you're thoughts hurt you're head, but you need to be more specific.::_ Rung said softly, taking the situation in calmly.

:: _Three years, two months, and ten days, there: specific enough for you.::_ Max snapped.

"Eh? I don't get that." Drift said in confusion.

"I think _i_ do."Rodimus muttered.

Fort max gripped the communicator. :: _That's how long it took high command to send help to garrus nine! Three Years! Three Years before we reached the top of prowl's "To Do " List! There years before he sent the wreckers to sweep up the mess!Hot Rod! You know who it is! I'm looking at whirl and…" for max stuttered lightly "And the psychiatrist, and i'm happy to kill both of them unless you turn this ship around and take us back to cybertron! Prowl, gets one chance to explain himself before i put my fist through his chest!::_ Fort max snapped, pure rage was shown by fortress maximus.

Horizon frame shooked, grunting in pain as he rubbed his head. "Okay, firstly? It's rodimus. Secondly, we're about as far away from cybertron as.." Rodimus didn't finished.

:: _Shut Up!::_ Fort maximus snapped.

"Rodimus… let me talk to him."Horizon said, venting heavily.

"Why?" Rodimus looked at the tired seeker, seeing him fight off the glitch and frowns. "You were there at the attack and he never harmed you."Rodimus said, as if it clicked in his head. "Fine."

:: _I mean it! I don't want a conversation! It's a smiple enough proposition you take me home right now and no one in this room dies. Over and out!:: Fort maximus hanged the communication up._

"Hot rod… hate that" Rodimus mutteres.

Horizon frowns, knowing where the room was as he turned to leave, almost tripping over his pedes that started the four mechs in the room before watching the seeker disappear from the room, hearing rungs screams.

-  
Cyber was in the medibay with ratchet and first aid, tending to the wounded. Rodimus had comm'd cyberstep to warn him about fort max and how he was locked into rungs office with whirl but he had been given an order to follow.

The fact that he was ordered to stay was also by ratchet because fuse was drunk off his pede's and put into the medibay after fort max grabbed ahold of him and slammed into pipe's frame, broken two antenna's and a dented processor, something fuse needed but it wasn't good when the sparklet that fuse and red had was startled.

What made matters worse was his carrier witness this but for some reason fort max never attack his carrier. What kind of memory did fort max had on his carrier?

" _Hostage situation enters its third hour, you are reminded that level 7 is a restricted area! Until then-"_ The intercom went out shortly

"Okay, Who's the wiseguy to let _siren_ to be the announcer?" Cyber asked, snarling mostly.

Ratchet was working on finding the volume on the machine."Where's the _volume_ on this thing?"Ratchet asked.

Siren spoke up through the intercom. " _Rodimus asked that you go about your business and await further updates!_ "

"Okay, nearly done. His power cells are at 5% but at least boss is stabled." First aid said, stabling boss repairs.

"So, boss, pipes, doubletap, dogfight and turbine. But why _Only_ five?" Cyber question."Why he attack fuse and never laid a hand on carrier?"

First aid tilted his head. "Why only?" First aid looks at cyber."Jeez cyber. Maybe fort max thought he'd made his _Point!_ " First aid pointed out.

"Yes, but.. Boss was with inferno and sunstreaker and dogfight was with brainstorm." Ratchet thought.

"It was brainstorm, grand carrier. 'Cos he said he tried to stop him but why didn't max take _them_ out, too?" Cyberstep remained.

"I _know_ , random acts of violence are so damn _unpredictable_ , aren't they?" First aid asked.

" 'Random' Everyone keeps using that word, _first aid._ " Cyber sighs.

"What, you think he was _targeting_ these guys?" First aid looked at the five patients.

"I don't know. I just think that sometimes, to see a pattern.."Ratchet start.

"... You need to take a step back."Cyber finished.

"Cyberstep…"Ratchet looked at cyber with his optics narrowed.

"I know i know, never finish your sentences." Cyber chuckled nervously before his frame tensed. "Grand-carrier, i need to go, i need to stop carrier." Cyber ran off, leaving the medical bay.

Ratchet nodded, before blinking and cursing loudly."Fragging seeker!"

-

Horizon vented heavily, gripping the wall as he groans, holding his head. "One more jump, just one more.." Horizon muttered before teleporting away, appearing in rung office, standing infront of fort maximus weapon, his arms stretched out.

"Everyone, calm down! Max lower the weapon, please!" Horizon pleaded " I know what this is about, what this is really about so lower the gun and talked, just talk to me!" Horizon looked at fort max red optics.

Rung and whirl stared at the blue and golden shaken seeker.

"Don't listen to him! Its a trick, pull the trigger!" Whirl tried to convince.

Fort max weapon shooked, unable to decide weather to pull the trigger or not while staring in the frighten optics of the seeker. "Move." Fort max muttered.

Horizon shook his head quickly, flaring his wings. "Please, max, just lower the weapon." Horizon said, gently setting his hands on the barrel of fort max weapon.

"I said, move!" Fort max snapped.

"And i said, lowering the fragging thing!" Horizon argue back. Fort max frozen, staring that the seeker blue-gold optics. "It's about overlord! Because this isn't about three years, it's about three syllables! Forget prowl, this is about what overlord did to you, to me, and what you never got to do back.

"Shut up!" Fort max head lower.

"Come on! Come on , you coward! Pretend i'm overlord! Pretend this is.." Whirl optic sparked

"Garrus nine?" Fort max optics widen in question

Rung moved, covering fort max head and muttering something toward him before rung stood up only to watch rung head get shot, exploding into pieces. "No!" Horizon and fort max yelled

"Yes." Whirl said.

Horizon head lower after a few hours that past. Horizon sat in the med-bay, being examined by ratchet while cyberstep watched his carrier in silent. "Everything seems alright, the minor black out seemed to of just past is all, he'll be good after a while. "

"I remember more…" Horizon muttered. "Why fort never attacked me." Horizon said, burying his head into his knees while he remained curled up.

Ratchet and cyber shared a look before they nodded as cyber leaves the medical bay to speak with goldrush about meetings, even if they were un-authorized by rodimus and magnus but if it helps his carrier then he'll understand.

Ratchet sat by horizon, watching the seeker cling to ratchet chest quickly like a sad sparkling, whimpering. Ratchet gently wrapped his arms around the seeker, holding him close while cooing and rubbing the seeker spinal strut in comfort, listening the seeker cries.


	7. Red alert gone?

Cyber sat by the group, chatting away with them as rewind raised his arm, waving. "Ratchet! You made it!" Rewind announced. Cyber lifted his head up, smiling slightly.

"I hope this is important, rewind. I abandoned a life-saving operation to come here." Ratchet pointed at his head. "That was a joke. Don't laugh at once i was actually spray-painting my hands." Ratchet said, a chuckle appeared from his mouth. Cyber and the group before laugh and chuckle. Cyber shook his head in amusement while ratchet sat down beside drift, cyberstep and chromedome. " Yeah, that wasn't a joke." Ratchet jabbed his thumb toward the door. "How come the sign on the door says closed for repairs, rodimus only just re-opened this place?" Ratchet asked.

"The sign gives us some privacy, besides it's true! You see.. Wait for it.." Rewind pulls rung out of hiding from behind the bar. "We're gonna repair rung's brain!" Rewind said, tapping rung head.

"By the vaulted heights of-"Ratchet stared in shocked

"By the all spark-" Cyberstep shuttered his optics from behind his visor.

"You had him hidden behind the bar?!" Drift snapped

"So embarrassed." Chromedome looked down, shaking his head.

"Not seriously telling me he been there the whole time?!" Skips pointed out with the question.

"Cool."Whirl plainly said.

" _Not Cool!_ " Cyber glared at whirl, sighing softly.

"You don't mind, do you bud?" Rewind asked rung.

"..."

"What. he's not talking?" Drift asked.

"He's not anything, that's why i invited you all here"Rewind moved behind chromedome. "Go on domey, tell 'em what you told me."Rewind encouraged.

"Rung can't return to full operating status until he's made a number of critical neural connections, but he has to do it himself. And the longer it takes him to do so, the greater the risk of total shutdown." Chrome explained.

"So other words, he's in a coma and hes gonna have to decide to either, live or offline?" Cyber asked.

"Yes.. i think.." Rewind pulled up a diagram. "One way of stimulating rungs cerebro circuitry is by talking to him, telling him a story."Rewind pointed out.

" Stories rely on the listener making a subconscious effort to bridge gaps in the narrative and that exercises certain higher level brain functions. "Chrome explained.

"So, yes, you're here to help me tell a story. A totally epic story based on real events that definitely happened." Rewind said softly. "This is a diagram of a socio temporal hotspot. I kind of, collect them. The hotspots as a hobby. " Rewind looks at cyberstep, nodding his head.

Cyberstep sighs. "Hate this, really do. "Cyber takes his visor off, keeping his optics closed as he cleans his visor. "If you dig deep enough, if you sift through enough data aka memories, you'll find that everything and everyone is connected. "Cyber explained.

"The paths that led you here are many and varied, but i've got billion life worth of informations on my database, news reports, medical records, C.C.T.V footage, you name it and guess what? For million years ago, thanks to one autobot, you all came within each other orbit." Rewind explains. " So here's the deal, i'll set the scene and prompt you for the details i need to move the story forward, all you have to do is, tell the truth. I've prepared a little montage intro thing, it took me.. Wait a second while i cue the music.. It took me ages but y'know historical context and all that…."

Cyber lost interest of what rewind was talking about, thinking about what happened that day. The imagine of his carrier sorrow, hurtful look. He knew his carrier blamed himself, looking at the datapad to see the footage of his carrier in the big, well sitting outside the brig, talking with fort max

Cyber optics lower, he didn't know how to help his carrier. Lifting his head up to hear prowls name, sighing softly as he stood up. "Excuse me.." Cyber said as ratchet and drift moved out of the way, so cyber could get out of the round table before slipping his datapad into his chest.

Cyber walked toward the door, his head lower while he leaved the bar, letting the confused bots turn back to the conversation. His head remain lower, walking down the hall as he replayed the imagine in his head of his carrier in tears.

Sighing, he was lifted the communicator up, seeing how it came up with rodimus message as he walked down to the oil reservoir, meeting up with drift as they walked together in silence before it was broken. "So, you walked out on us, how come?" Drift asked.

"I have reason.." Cyber said, adjusting his visor a bit.

"Look if those reason where from.. You know, rungs office then, hey i'm on aboard with you, the whole confusion and so on." Drift said with the happy go lucky face.

"It's not just that, drift. It's everything about my carrier!" Cyber said, causing drift to go silently. "For fragging sakes, everything my carrier is feeling is going through the fraggin bond! I'm as lost as he is. Questions in my head are appearing and he has more of them then i expected." Cyber stated, rubbing his head.

"Hey, just try and calm down. Everyone misses the ' run from the beast ' cyberstep, not the ' oh so gloomy mech' cyberstep." Drift pointed out.

"I'm not depress, if that's what you're saying."Cyber glared at drift.

Drift held his hands up quickly."No no, not at all."Drift looked away, holding a nervous face."But s-seriously, whats wrong?"

"It's how fort acted around carrier, it was like he had no choice but to obey but then again, he tried to fight it." Drift watched cyberstep carefully. "My carrier just stood in front of gunpoint, he never done that before, at least not that i remember. " Cyber muttered that last part.

Drift frowns, gently setting his hand on cyberstep shoulder. "Cyberstep, Your carrier has many pasts, like it do, which i can relate to most of them. Sure, he flinches every so often when he see's me because he remember my old self, Cyber i know about his glitches, how it wipes his memories after a certain amount of fear, confusion or stress can get to him."Drift explained.

Cyber looks at drift, none even shocked to hear drift learning anything something for once."What was.. Fortress maximus to carrier?" Cyber asked softly, in a most utter whisper.

"I wish i had that answer, cyberstep, i really do."Drift sighs. "Before for now, let's just tend to what rodimus wanted." Drift said, walking through the doors.

Cyber sighs, nodding his head before walking into the as he saw grapple lifting something up. "That's it grapple. Slowly now. Carefull." Rodimus said, encouraging grapple.

"Rodimus?" Drift and cyber both asked as grappled pulled up a familiar body. "Oh no…" Drift optics widen.

"Is that…"Cyber shook his head. "That's read alert!" Cyber frowns.

"I'm glad you're here to see this drift.. Cyber." Rodimus crossed his arms, as grapple set red's body down. "It saves me the trouble of having to justify what i'm about to do to cyclonus." Rodimus said, gripping his fists.

"Now just wait one damn minute, rodimus."Cyberstep glares. "Don't just pin this on cyclonus!"

"And why shouldn't i?" Rodimus snapped.

"Because for one, we don't know if cyclonus did this to red alert. Sure, the mech seemed a bit off but he's loyal." Cyberstep pointed out.

"Oh right, loyal to his changing sides,."Rodimus scoffed. "I highly doubt you been keeping an optic on those decepticons you have high hopes of changing."

Cyber narrowed his optics. "What… does that mean?" Cyberstep snarled.

"It means you are not doing you're job."Rodimus stated, poking cyberstep chest.

"Let.. me tell you something.. _Captain."_ Cyber grabs rodimus hand tightly. "I am doing my fragging job, if you weren't so _arrogant, dim-witted, stupid, hot headed mech,_ then perhaps you can tell cyclonus did _Not_ do this, then perhaps you be smarter then you look. "Cyber pointed out, shoving rodimus hand away before storming out of the room.

Rodimus growls and glares at the closing door.


	8. Proven right

"Magnus, you took you're time." Rodimus noticed magnus walked into the room, turning toward him.

"I was on reconnaissance, remember i sent you that memo…" Magnus crossed his arms.

Cyber snorted, looking toward cyclonus to see his peaceful look.

"I.. yes yes, of course you did." Rodimus tried to put it off.

"You do read my memos, don't you, rodimus?" Magnus questioned.

"If there a reason for him not to, then he would of yet found it already and read all of your memos and every one of your many, many reports.. And since you're finally here, we can read one of his stupid, hot-head, memo's." Cyber glared at the orange prime.

"You're pissed off because i'm blaming cyclonus for red alert being be-headed by him." Rodimus pointed out.

Cyberstep optics flashed brightly under his blue visor, nearly changing his visor to purple. "No.. I'm gonna be _Happy_ , when the medical reports come in, to hold proof that cyclonus never laid a hand on him." Cyber glares at rodimus.

"Who needs proof when we got cyclonus to confess he did it" Rodimus scoffed, shaking his head.

"You are an fraggin idiot, i swear to primus, if i wouldn't want you're arrogant to become prime anyways. At least skylight had a more knowledge about this then you would." Cyber glared, crossing his arms as he sat back against his chair.

"Why you little piece of-" Rodimus didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as magnus moved between the two of them.

"Enough both of you. We found red alert in the oil reservoir, no head. Pretty sure cyclonus is to blame, Obv, watch this space." Magnus said, vouching rodimus side.

"Obv, stand for obviously." Rodimus point out, smirking at cyberstep.

"Don't start gloating, primeling…"That caused rodimus to twitch an optic ridge."He said pretty sure, that's a fifty fifty chance, and my fifty chance if on my side of being right."Cyberstep pointed out.

"Don't call me primeling. "Rodimus warned.

"Enough both of you!" Magnus said, nearly growling in warning. "I swear, i'm dealing with a set of sparklings."Cyber fell quiet, looking away. "How's red alert?" Magnus asked.

"There's a weak spark. We found his head, so first aid thinks he should be able to save him that is if fuse doesn't rush the poor mech." Rodimus pointed out.

"And cyclonus, what have you charge him with exactly?"Rodimus fell quiet. "Okay, you've read him his rights, though," No answer from rodimus. "You didn't read him his.. Does he even know why he's here?" MAgnus asked.

"No he doesn't."Cyberstep grumbled, earning a look for magnus that said ' _i should of known'_

"Wait.. have we swapped roles or something? I'm the one who gave him a chance, you're the one who hates him. "Screw up and i'll demolish you" did i say that? oh , no, wait, that was you." Rodimus pointed out.

"Rodimus, you have to follow due process. This isn't "Magnus sighs. "We're not allowed to run around capturing people anymore!"Magnus complains.

"Cyclonus is practically a decepticon, and that makes him our prime suspect. Drift agrees. He's determined to get a confession."Rodimus pointed out.

"No.. He's determined to Impress you…"Magnus stated.

Hearing a crash in the room, cyber turned his head to see cyclonus, without a weapon, pinned drift to the table, smirking as if he was accepting an apology as magnus ran in and pulled cyclonus off of drift as rodimus gone between them but cyclonus wasn't struggling which proved cyberstep theory.

"There! Noiw do you see why i was suspicious?!"Rodimus said loudly.

"What i see is a suspect reacting to extreme provocation." Magnus said calmly

"I going to say this once. After that, you can subject me to whatever tortures, sorry, interrogative techniques fall within autobot commands, even cyberstep command, ever widening ambit of justifiable causes, but my position as stated will not change. "Cyclonus explained, "I met red alert, twice. I found him paranoid, jittery, delusional, and appalling at his job and taking care of his sparkling. I liked him. I liked him for his flaws. The rest of you, you're so damn pleased with yourself "Cyclonus looked toward cyberstep. "Except for you. You've won a war and you think that elevates you."Cyclonus spoke softly toward rodimus.

"You're point?" Rodimus asked.

"As i said, i liked him, but if i'd wanted to kill him, he would be dead. Forget last minute resuscitations and reversible spark decay and rossum's rule of thirds, he would be bead and i would be gone."Cyclonus pointed out.

"For someone who doesn't talk much, you can…" Rodimus answers a comm. "Wair, comms call, say that again first aid.."Rodimus looked at cyberstep in shocked.

:: _I said, i know who did this, and it's not cyclonus.::_ First aid said.

"Told you so." cyber said with a smudged look on his face.

"Shut up.."Rodimus glared.

Cyberstep chuckled, smirking widely as magnus set cyclonus down. "Thankyou, sir. For believing in me."Cyclonus said, bowing his head.

Cyber sighs, rubbing his head gently."Listen, cyclonus. I maybe the prince of decepticons, but i have my ways, i have my skills and talent. I take charge of where i am needed the most and today, i knew you needed me. "Cyberstep held his hand out to cyclonus. "So, what do you say? Be my teammate, my friend and one of the family."Cyber offers.

Cyclonus, rodimus, drift and magnus stood there in shocked and amazed to see that cyber was willing to let one thing off his chest. Cyclonus gracefully took cyberstep hand to accept the over, nodding his head, the ghostly smile appeared. "Of course, my lord."Cyclonus said softly as cyber pulled cyclonus over, keeping his hands locked while hugging the jet flyer.


	9. Til all are one, Red alert

"Admit it, i was right, you were wrong." Cyber said, leaning against the medibay doorframe.

"I won't say it."Rodimus refuses. "Are you sure? Suicide? I'm sorry, first aid. I'm not buying this. Read alert was decapitated for one thing." Rodimus asked.

"Technically not rodimus, he detached his own head, and then allowed himself to fall into the reservoirs, i guess. It's called soft termination depending on your age and your design, you can sever the link between your brain module and you're spark quite cleanly. His spark would've faded to nothing if we hadn't reattached his head in time."First aid explained.

"I'm not buying it." Rodimus said in disbelief.

"So you keep saying, but first aid's explanation make sense."Magnus said.

"Not To Me!" Rodimus snapped, turning to first aid. "Why would a member of my crew, someone entrusted to my care, feel the need to.." Rodimus felt magnus gripping rodimus forearm.

"Rodimus please." Magnus pleaded softly.

Rodimus watched magnus loosen his grip, moving his hand away to see the dents as rodimus pointed at him. "Careful…" Rodimus warned calmly.

"It's not your fault. Red alert was deeply unwell." Drift remained.

"Fuse even knew red alert wasn't doing way." Cyber stated. "Fuse would notice red alert walking around during the night, searching for something and he could hear something but he didn't know what." Cyber explained.

"I know.. I even spoke to him myself." Rodimus nodded.

"Was that wise?" Magnus asked.

"I can do sensitive you know! I told him i was worried about him and i told him everyone thought he was losing it." Rodimus explained. "When he's back online, i'm going to talk to him properly, offer him a temporary demotion or something. Take the weight off his shoulders." Rodimus stated.

"You're kidding right? " Cyber asked, shaking his head.

"Rodimus, i think we need to discuss whether it's in red alerts best interests to bring him back. His paranoia goes back millions of years. Now i know he overcame his illness and he seemed to be okay, but he plainly wasn't okay. He was disturbed enough, unhappy enough, to try to end his own life, to leave his mate and sparklet behind. And i think, we should respect that." Magnus wisely said, frowning.

"You are one frightening piece of work, you're saying we let him die?" Rodimus glared at magnus.

"No, he's saying, let's put red alert under, somewhere in the storage and when our quest is finished…" Cyber beginned.

"When our circumstances are more conducive to his mental well being, we resuscitate him."Magnus finished.

"I don't know. What do you think, drift?" Rodimus asked.

"With respect, what drift thinks is neither here nor.." Cyberstep didn't get to finished.

"I want to know what drift thinks." Rodimus demanded.

Soon red alert was moved to the cold storage, being put under was the best thing for now but knowing fuse sparklet was gonna be very loud and very unhappy. Sighing, he shook his head. He knew goldrush has much needed work to do.

Cyberstep tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling as he crossed his arms. Sighing softly, he shook his head once more, everything was going down hill and he couldn't understand it. He walked toward the brig, to hopefully pull his carrier from the not so interesting conversation he was having with fort max but cyberstep stopped, watching the halls blazed red, buzzing loudly from the alarm systems.


End file.
